Eleven
by CallaBunny
Summary: Sang and the boys are all grown up, if you could call pillow forts and water balloon fights "grown up." But graduating from the Academy and moving out of their childhood homes doesn't mean things will be any easier for them. They'll face new trials, dangerous missions, and their biggest challenge yet...a new family member.
1. Chapter One: Breathe

Chapter One: Breathe

Deep breath in. Deep breath out.

Deep breath in...shaky breath out. Oh God.

My fingers shook as I tried to fit the key into the ignition. It sounded simple, but a once thoughtless task had become an impossible hurdle I couldn't seem to clear.

As my fingers continued shaking and tears welled up in my eyes, I couldn't tell if it was from nerves or excitement. Probably both.

My blurred vision made the simpleton task even more hopeless, and I tossed my keys onto the seat beside me before bursting into tears.

 _It's not a bad thing,_ I repeated to myself as I wiped at the endless stream of tears, trying to gather even a small smidgen of strength. _They'll be happy._

"Sang, you have no idea how much joy you're going to bring to nine lives when you tell them," Dr. Roberts had told me after my normal check up, when my mind had been going a mile a minute in all different directions.

It was a new chapter. A _very_ new chapter. Something we'd been mentioning over the past year in small increments but never made a game plan for.

Kota would've wanted a plan.

That thought made my heart squeeze for the hundredth time in the last hour.

All I had managed was a wobbly smile that had made Dr. Roberts's worried eyes narrow, but I hadn't known how to react.

All Dr. Roberts had done was ask me if I had any concerns or questions about my health recently. How was I supposed to know that almost jokingly telling him previously sweet foods were starting to taste sour to me would lead to an array of blood tests and end with him telling me I'm pregnant?

Pregnant.

I had expected him to just make a joke about Luke experimenting in the kitchen again and move on to examining my ears.

He had also kindly informed me that heightened emotions and oversensitivity were other pregnancy symptoms.

That might explain why I was currently bawling like a baby in the hospital parking lot.

I wasn't sure how to deal with this. With all of my Academy training, I'd been taught how to analyze tense situations while keeping a calm facade. While I could definitely verify I was tense right now, my emotions were a blur.

But I could do this. There was nothing stopping me. I wasn't some lonely, scared fifteen year old girl anymore. In fact, it was quite the opposite. I was a happy, loved twenty-five year old...woman.

So why were my hands still shaking as hard as they were when Max jumped on me that dark, rainy night nine years ago?

Nine years.

The boys had stayed by my side, through thick and thin, for nine whole years. No matter what other people had told us, we'd stayed a family and never grew apart. I knew the only outside people who weren't shocked by it were Lily and her men.

Men. Despite Owen and Sean approaching thirty, which was mind boggling in itself, I still couldn't call any of them men. They were my boys, just like they'd always be.

Ten minutes later and with the help of some greater power, my tears had slowed down and I was able to get the key in the ignition without too much trouble. As if fate took that as a sign, my phone started ringing from the seat beside me. Quickly grabbing a take-out napkin from the console, I hastily blew my nose while fumbling for the phone.

Allowing myself one last pity sniffle, I brought the phone to my ear without bothering to check the screen, "Hello?"

"How was your appointment, love?" Owen's voice carried through the phone and I suppressed another sniffle at the warmth in it. _This oversensitivity was going to be the death of me_ , I thought with an eyeroll.

"It went...well," I answered confidently after trying to find the appropriate word. "I'm healthy."

"I never doubted that," Owen said, a faint trace of amusement in his voice. "Sean and I will be home for lunch, and you know he'll want to hear all about it. Join us?"

"That sounds wonderful," I smiled into the phone, hoping the food wouldn't taste too sour thanks to my frazzled tastebuds. "I'll be there. And Owen?"

"Yes, Sang?" He prompted, and I could just picture his eyebrow tilting up at me not just asking out-right. Some habits were hard to break.

"Do you think we could get everyone together after lunch?" I asked hopefully, tracing the steering wheel gently with my finger.

"Today?" Owen sounded surprised. "I'm not sure if that's possible, love. North and Silas are assisting Raven at the range, and both Victor and Kota are on assignment until the morning. The others are off today, but it might be too late of notice. How does tomorrow sound?"

My stomach twisted slightly, and I knew I wouldn't last twenty-four hours without blurting it out. I was afraid I wouldn't even last two minutes.

But I needed all of the boys there.

"Please?" I asked, cringing at the desperation in my voice.

"Sang, what's wrong?" Owen's voice deepened and was laced with concern.

"Nothing is wrong," I shook my head adamantly, despite him not being able to see it. I may have my worries and concerns with how this news would go, but I could very confidently say that nothing was _wrong._ "It's just important, and it needs to be today."

There was a loaded pause, and the silence seemed to stretch so long I almost broke and gave Owen the news over the phone. My fingers gripped the steering wheel until every single knuckle turned white, just for some form of stability.

"Alright," Owen's voice finally sounded through the phone and I sagged with relief. "I'll make sure they're here."

"Thank you," I murmured gratefully. "It's really nothing bad. I just want everyone there."

"Then everyone will be here, Sang," Owen assured me quietly, but I could practically hear him holding himself back. "Are you sure-"

"Owen, you'll find out soon," I cut him off with a small smile. "I promise. Please don't try and get it out of me now, because you know I'll cave. Try and be patient, _please._ "

There was another pause, and I knew Owen was weighing the importance of knowing against the promise they'd all made a long time ago to let me come to them on my own time. We knew from the start this wouldn't work if I was pushed at every turn.

"You should know by now not to doubt my patience, Miss Sorenson," Owen murmured, and my breath caught as the air in the car changed. His voice had dipped to a low, sensuous melody that my body immediately reacted to in the middle of a hospital parking lot.

"Oh, it's Miss Sorenson now, is it?" I answered back just as quietly, biting my lip with anticipation. My eyes fluttered closed on their own accord as I listened to his breathing, picturing Owen sitting ever so elegantly in his office. The idea of him using his bedroom name for me while in his suit and surrounded by work never failed to send a thrill through me.

"When you get home, maybe Sean and I will show you just how patient I can be," his voice continued to tease me, and I could just hear the taunting, wicked smirk in it. "Patient enough to keep you on edge for hours."

"Is that a threat, Mr. Blackbourne?" I asked softly, doing my best to stop from purring in happiness. Did Dr. Roberts mention anything about being extremely aroused during the next seven months? I couldn't recall.

"It's a promise, love," Owen vowed before ending the call and cutting off any response my muddled brain might've managed to give.

I turned the key with renewed energy, anxious to get home for an entirely new reason. If I got pulled over for speeding on the way home, Owen had better come up with an inventive way to make it up to me.

 **A/N: Short, little opening. Chapter Two will be up soon (like today...) Just wanted to give a little taste with this one. Keep an eye out. :)**

 **As always, let me know what you think! I love the feedback.**


	2. Chapter Two: The Good Doctor

Miraculously making it home with a clean driving record, I parked behind Dr. Sean's Honda before taking a deep, calming breath for courage. Tucking my phone back into my bra and remembering to grab the keys from the stupid ignition, I headed towards the leftmost townhouse. Standing three stories high with a brownstone finish, the pristine yard absolutely screamed Owen Blackbourne. The purple welcome-mat with "an apple (pie) a day keeps the doctor happy" written across it, on the other hand, was purely Sean.

Stepping over the threshold, my nose was immediately bombarded with the rich scent of pasta sauce. I vaguely recalled Dr. Roberts lecturing about certain foods making me nauseous during my first trimester, but I was relieved to find that my stomach was still leaping at the chance to consume some delicious pasta.

Low voices could be heard from the kitchen, and I dutifully placed my keys in their designated, decorative bowl before making my way through the foyer and into the living room.

"Pookie!" Sean grinned from across the kitchen island as he saw me come in. My lips lifted automatically as I took in the sight of Sean and Owen cooking together. Those two could be more domestic than any mother I'd ever seen, when given the chance. I passed the couches and large dining area while heading towards them, my eyes drifting over Sean stirring a pot while Owen chopped some tomatoes.

"Hi, Sean," I greeted, grinning as I leaned against the island. My eyes traveled over the frilly apron he was wearing, and I recognized it as the one Luke gave me for Christmas a few years ago. "Owen, did you-"

My words cut off abruptly when my eyes swung towards Owen and noticed his own locked on me. Our earlier phone conversation came barreling back into my mind as I took in his predatory gaze. A slow, millimeter smile slid onto his face as his darkened eyes stared unflinchingly into mine.

I audibly gulped.

If I wasn't incredibly turned on, I might've been creeped out by the way he was staring at me so intently while viciously chopping tomatoes with a very large, sharp knife.

"Owen, give it a rest before you make the poor girl's ovaries explode," Sean rolled his eyes as he walked up to me with his usual flirty smile. With a quick peck on my lips, he ushered me towards the table. "At least let her have a last meal."

"You have such little faith in me, Sean," Owen calmly admonished him, still chopping tomatoes.

"Actually, I think I'm showing a lot of faith in you," Sean shot back good-naturedly as he gave my shoulder an affectionate squeeze before heading back to the stove. "After all, I've seen first hand what one look from you can do to our poor Sang."

"What's for lunch?" I cut in, half of me wanting to stop them from talking about their affect on me and the other half, the one consisting of my stomach, genuinely curious.

"Cavatelli with andouille, peppers, and tomatoes," Owen answered with a knowing glance my way before turning and dropping the chopped tomatoes into the pasta.

"Sounds delicious," I said, my mouth watering slightly. "Can I help?"

"We're just finishing up, love," Owen deflected warmly, pulling plates out of the cabinet as Sean pulled out glasses. I stopped breathing for a moment when I realized he might be getting out wine, but my shoulders sagged in relief when he started pouring water in them. "You should save your energy for _Dr. Green's_ interrogation."

My lips twitched as Sean gasped in mock-offense while he carried three glasses towards the table.

"Owen, I have never felt more insulted in my entire life," Sean huffed dramatically, handing me a water before walking back and grabbing a plate that Owen just filled with food.

"Is that so?" Owen replied, intrigued. "Even that time-"

"Nope!" Sean cut in loudly, narrowing both eyes at his friend. "There are still some things that Sang is better off not knowing about."

"Are you keeping secrets, Sean?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Not _secrets_ , Pookie," Sean winced, setting the plate down in front of me as Owen brought the other two over. "Never secrets. Just...classified information."

"Classified?" Owen snorted slightly, sitting down next to me. "I would hardly say a waitress calling you a 'pretty, little girl' is classified information."

Sean's eyes widened in alarm as my own widened in shock, and I brought a napkin up to cover my laughter.

"Owen!" Sean whined, pouting at him. "You know that can emotionally scar a kid for life. "

"S-Sean," I managed through my giggles, reaching out to grab his hand comfortingly. "Don't be embarrassed. With your gorgeous curls, I could see people assuming wrong. Sometimes it's hard to tell the gender with babies."

"That was in fifth grade," Owen shared with a snort, and my jaw dropped slightly.

"Owen _, stop,"_ Sean frowned, but his lips twitched as he turned to me. "In my defense, my hair was a little longer."

"And his eyes were just _so_ pretty," Owen continued, causing more giggles to erupt as Sean glared at him.

"You do not want to start this game with me, Owen Blackbourne," Sean spoke lowly, his tone laced with warning. "I've still got dirt on you, too."

"You two have been holding back from me?" I asked curiously, looking between both as I wondered what other embarrassing stories I hadn't heard about them yet. Sean's tale about Owen being dared to milk a cow flittered through my mind, and I burst into more giggles. Honestly, it was Sean's fault for blindfolding him. How was Owen supposed to know it was actually a bull?

"Why don't you tell us about your appointment, love?" Owen asked instead, beginning to work on his pasta as Sean perked up.

"You're playing dirty, Mr. Blackbourne," I muttered to him before turning towards an expectant Sean.

"Tell me everything, Pookie!" Sean demanded, keeping his focus solely on me as his food remained uneaten. I gave my own plate a longing glance before sighing.

"Everything is good," I explained simply. "Dr. Roberts gave me a check-up, and I'm healthy."

I picked up my fork to take a bite, but Sean's flat stare had me setting it back down with a sigh.

"What exactly do you want to know?" I asked.

" _Everything,"_ Sean exclaimed, gesturing wildly with his hands. "Why aren't I your doctor? What all did Dr. Roberts check? Did he make any bad jokes? Was he professional? Did you wear that sexy, little paper gown? Did you miss me? Was there apple pie in the cafeteria? What color underwear are you wearing? Did he check your breathing? Did you tell him about stubbing your toe last week? Did he take an x-ray like I wanted?"

I blinked back at Sean for a few moments before calmly lifting my fork and taking a bite of pasta. I sagged slightly in content as the delicious flavors exploded in my mouth, before looking back to Sean. Taking a deep breath, I set the fork back down.

"You're not my doctor because it would be inappropriate," I explained, raising a hand to stop Sean's argument when his mouth opened. "He checked my height, weight, lungs, heart, eyes, ears, nose, throat, blood pressure, and everything else that he _always_ checks. I don't recall any jokes being made, and yes, he was strictly professional. If you expected anything different, I would be _severely_ disappointed in you. I did wear the paper gown, but if you actually find that sexy then I'm slightly worried about your mental state. I always miss you, even when I'm with you. I didn't go to the cafeteria, so I can't comment on the apple pie. My underwear is pink. Yes he did, and yes, my breathing is fine. No, of course I did _not_ tell Dr. Roberts that I stubbed my toe an entire week ago. It felt fine after an hour and each of you kissing it."

"Prove it," was all Sean said as he stared back.

"Prove what?" I asked in confusion. "That my toe is fine? Sean, getting an x-ray would be ridiculous. We don't need-"

"You said your underwear is pink," Sean explained, gesturing towards me from across the table. "Prove it."

Part of me was very much tempted to stand up and _prove it_ , if he hadn't been asking all those ridiculous questions.

"Let the 'poor girl' eat, Sean," Owen chided, placing his hand on my lower thigh as he sent me a slight smirk. "After all, this is her last meal."

"I still don't understand why you won't let me be your doctor, though," Sean whined with a huff, pushing the broccoli around with his fork instead of eating it.

"Because you're my husband, Sean," I pointed out, shaking my head at him fondly from across the table.

"Oh come on, Pookie. Couples play doctor all the time," he rolled his eyes before pouting at me.

"Key word there is _play_ ," I retorted, taking a bite of chicken before placing my fork down. "You can pretend to be my doctor as much as you want, but when it comes to my real check-ups you know it's inappropriate."

"But I give everyone else their check-ups," Sean's pout deepened.

"Good for them," was all I said back, finally taking another bite of the delectable pasta before spearing a piece of broccoli with my fork.

"Maybe if I could just-" Sean started to say with a wary look, before I cut him off.

"Don't you dare bring this up again!" I warned, pointing my fork at him. "You're not allowed to sit in on my check-ups anymore. They had to call security last time."

"Well Phil was sticking that otoscope way too far into your ear," Sean immediately defended, shaking his head. "He could've burst your eardrum! You think I'd just sit by and watch that happen?"

"So you just _had_ to hit him over the head with a bone you ripped off the fake skeleton?" I asked dryly, taking another bite of pasta and chewing with a little more force than necessary.

"Hey, that was the femur. It's a strong bone," Sean explained, sounding slightly insulted.

"I know it's strong, Sean. I saw the bump on Dr. Roberts's head after security escorted you from the building," I sighed, reaching for my glass and taking a sip of water. Owen rubbed his thumb against my skin in comfort as he continued eating his own meal.

"Well, at least now he knows better than to risk damaging your delicate, little eardrums," Sean reasoned, nodding his head in satisfaction.

"If it bothers you that much, Sean, maybe you can do your own yearly check up on Sang," Owen suggested. "Purely for sanity's sake. Mine, not yours."

"Not a bad idea, O-man," Sean nodding in agreement, while I refrained from protesting. Challenging this would just lead to more complaining from Sean during my next check-up, and I could spare a few minutes to let him look up my nose if that's _really_ what he wanted to do.

How romantic.

"Now, about what we discussed earlier," Owen prompted, his hand creeping slowly up my thigh as his thumb continued to rub small circles against my skin. My skirt was creeping up along with his fingers, and if he continued at this rate it would be bunched around my hips in thirty seconds flat. I let out a shaky breath while putting my fork down, any appetite for food suddenly vanished.

Sean perked up across from us and placed his own fork down.

"What were we discussing earlier?" He asked cheerfully, albeit obliviously. "Oh, do you mean the new mission Greta told us about? I don't know if Kota will go for it, but it actually looks incredibly fun."

"Surprisingly, that is not what I am referring to," Owen answered flatly before turning to me. "Miss Sorenson and I were debating my self-restraint when she was leaving the hospital this morning."

"Oh? And what did _Miss Sorenson_ have to to say about that?" Sean asked, dropping his voice into a very deep, very _exaggerated_ impression of Owen's voice.

I would've burst into laughter at his impersonation if I wasn't currently melting into a puddle as Owen's hand moved dangerously higher on my thigh.

As fate would have it, like it usually does with a family of ten people, the moment was regrettably interrupted as soon as Owen's fingers brushed my pantyline.

"Sang!" A voice boomed as I heard the front door burst open, Owen's hand freezing on the inside of my thigh. "You home, baby?"

My heart jumped into my throat on the word _baby,_ and my mouth could only open uselessly in a silent response.

"I know I saw her car outside," my North's gruff voice could be heard as he walked in from the foyer. Our eyes met, and his scowl broadened into that heartbreaking grin. "There you are."

"North!" I managed to choke out, grinning back and standing up from my chair as Owen's hand slipped away. I hurried over to North, wrapping my arms around his broad shoulders as he pulled me to him. "I feel like I haven't seen you in days."

"Well, it's been almost two now, baby," North said back, placing a warm kiss atop my head before pulling back. "How was your appointment?"

I shifted on my feet, hoping my eyes didn't give anything away.

"Good," I answered shortly, standing on my tiptoes to give him a quick kiss before looking around him to the empty foyer. "Where's everyone else?"

"Almost here," North answered, turning me back towards the kitchen and we walked towards the table. "I rode my bike back from the range, so I didn't have to deal with traffic."

"How was training?" I asked, genuinely curious about the new recruits who finished boot camp a few weeks ago. I remember my first time on the range, and it wasn't exactly a pleasant memory if the following hospital visit was anything to judge by. Raven walked with a limp for months.

"Better than I expected," North answered as he walked to the counter and poured himself a glass of water. "The newbies are hungry, but disciplined. We've got a good crop."

"Marc was updating me on the Langston team's progress yesterday," Owen explained as he stood from the table and stacked out lunch plates on top of each other. "He said they have the potential to beat out some of our records."

"Which ones?" Sean asked suspiciously as Owen headed to the kitchen sink with our plates. I gathered the drinking glasses before following him.

"Record for most successful missions completed in a year. Record for fastest Platinum-level heist. Record for quickest full team to finish the ropes course," Owen listed off, turning on the sink and rinsing each dish. "They already broke a few others during boot camp."

"No!" Sean gasped in horror. "But our legacy!"

"They're little machines, Doc," North shook his head, taking the glasses from me and adding them to the pile Owen was washing. "You should've seen the youngest of them, Ricky, take a shot from-"

"Peanut, I'm ho-ome!" Nathan sang after I heard the front door bang open for the second time today.

The sound of more feet milling about in the foyer made my breath catch as I heard laughter and voices carrying towards us. Lots of voices.

It hit me like a brick wall. After such a calming, distracting lunch with Sean and Owen, I'm not sure what I expected. But they were all here now, and I couldn't hide it anymore.


	3. Chapter Three: έντεκα

A mild feeling of nausea was beginning to set in as I heard the boys' voices increase in volume, but I couldn't tell if it was from the baby or my own frayed nerves.

"Sang?" I vaguely heard Sean's voice pulling me out of my errant thoughts. "Sang, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I answered automatically, turning to face his doubtful expression. "Sorry, I just spaced out for a second."

"If you say so, Pumpkin," Sean sighed before smiling at me. "Why don't you say hi to the guys and get them all settled? Owen has been talking my ear off about your announcement or _whatever it is you're hiding_ from the time you two hung up to the second you walked through the door."

Sean chuckled as I let out a quiet groan, then he disappeared into the hallway as I saw Gabriel and Luke come bounding into the room.

"Where's my sugar, Cupcake?" Luke asked with a grin, striding straight towards me and pulling me into a deep kiss.

Luke's lips were warm as they melded against mine. As his tongue traced my lips and I parted them, eager as ever, I distantly noted that his tongue held a vague flavor of starbursts. It didn't mix very well with my pasta breath, but Luke pulled away with a grin before placing a softer, chaste kiss on my lips.

"And where's my 'hello,' Trouble?" Gabriel asked from beside us, not waiting for an answer before he turned my shoulders towards him and planted his lips on mine in a hard, closed-mouth kiss. Backing away with a loud _smack_ sound as our lips parted, Gabriel smiled. "How'd it go with the doc?"

"I want to tell everyone at once," I shook my head, pointing towards the seated area. "Can you make sure everyone gets a seat? I'll get drinks ready, but I need to do something first."

"You got it, Trouble," Gabriel responded slowly, his eyes narrowing slightly in suspicion before Luke tugged him away.

"Dibs on an end seat!" Luke called, racing towards the couches. Taking a deep breath, I didn't see any of the other boys as I hurried past Owen and North in the kitchen. Finding myself in a small hallway that led to the garage, I slipped through a door and closed myself in the bathroom.

Feeling the butterflies in my stomach threatening to mutiny, I lowered the toilet lid before collapsing on top of it.

This was hands down the most nervous I'd ever been. Worse than any time I'd seen my step-mother's eyes turn crazed before a punishment. Worse than the time I had to tell Owen I wrecked his car during driving lessons with Luke. Worse even than the nine separate times I'd told my boys 'I do' during ceremonies that were only recognized by our friends and family.

This was something brand new. I'd dealt with my step-mother's punishments before, I knew what to expect and I'd built up a tolerance. Aside from the two hours I'd spent emptying my stomach with anxiety, I'd known Owen would be more concerned with Luke and mine's safety than his precious BMW. I'd already loved the boys and committed myself to them years before we made anything 'official.' In the back of my mind during those ceremonies, I knew I'd just been reiterating something we'd already promised.

We'd never had a baby before. This was brand new, and maybe my hormones were already out of whack but I did not have a single idea for how to tell them.

I thought back to when Karen had told me her and her partner were adopting. She'd given me a goody bag and picture with three different clothes pins on it, one smaller than the other two. It had been odd, but cute nonetheless.

Kayli had sent me a Russian nesting doll for her second baby announcement. She'd told me privately that Raven's condoms broke more than half the time, and after the fetus was twice as big as it should've been during her first ultrasound they all just assumed it was his.

I did not envy her twenty hour labor for that one, and when I saw Raven limping a few weeks later I didn't envy him either.

The sound of laughter interrupted my wandering thoughts as I shakily stood up. Facing the mirror, I was relieved to see that I didn't look like the walking dead. My face was naturally pale, so I didn't think it was too noticeable if I was a little whiter than usual. There were no bags under my eyes, but even I could see the nervous glint in them. I turned the cool side's knob and quickly spritzed some water on my face before drying it off with the hand towel.

" _Aggele?_ " Silas's deep voice rumbled through the door, making me jump slightly as I returned the towel to its spot.

"Coming, Superman," I called back, turning off the water and taking a deep breath.

"You can do this," I murmured quietly to my reflection, reminding myself that faking confidence is better than having no confidence at all. With that last thought, I nudged the door open and let a natural smile spread across my face as I found Silas leaning against the wall across from me.

"I was worried you might've fallen in," Silas smiled warmly, holding his hand out and I automatically slipped mine into his grasp.

"And give North an excuse to call the fire department again? Never," I said back, squeezing his hand as we headed back into the kitchen. With the open floor plan, my eyes were drawn to the other eight boys as soon as we walked in. They were talking and lounging on the couches. Catching up on their mornings, discussing different missions, and I'm pretty sure I even heard Luke talking about the probability of penguins learning to fly before Owen's eyes met mine and he stopped talking mid-sentence.

Like a domino effect, the other boys halted their conversations and turned to me and Silas with varying looks of intrigue and expectancy.

I felt like I had a huge sign with blinking lights above my head that read " _I'm pregnant!"_

Silas lifted out entwined hands up to place a warm kiss against my thumb, before giving me a gentle squeeze and letting go. As he made his way to an open spot next to North, I noticed that everyone already had a drink and I was out of stalling tactics.

"Are you thirsty, Princess?" Victor asked from his spot between Kota and Nathan. He gestured to a glass on the coffee table filled with a pink liquid. "We got you some pink lemonade."

"Thank you, Victor," I nodded, wearing my fake confidence like a security blanket around my shoulders as I approached them. I eyed the pink lemonade, realizing that I was indeed thirsty, but left it untouched when I realized my throat might close up with nerves causing me to choke on it and possibly die before telling any of them the news.

My heart rate picked up speed at the different possibilities.

"I have an announcement," I declared needlessly. The boys already knew I had news, hence the impromptu family meeting. But this was a good test to try talking without choking on my words or saliva.

I gave myself a mental pat on the back for succeeding, as the boys waited patiently for me to continue.

"As most of you know, I went to see Dr. Roberts today," I began slowly, not quite sure how to tell all of them the news. I thought back to Kayli and Karen. Girls usually make this part cute and fun. Maybe even romantic. I should've planned something, like a cake or balloons.

Or at least something other than me standing in front of them in yoga pants and a lumpy sweater.

"And?" Nathan pressed, his voice confused but curious.

"And...," I trailed off, biting my lip. Should I just blurt it out? Could I? I'm not even sure if I was capable of saying the words out loud yet. "Well, you see...he, um, he-"

"What did he do, Sang?" Kota asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Did he stick that otoscope too far again?" Sean burst out from the other couch, making me jump and roll my eyes simultaneously. My poor doctor was frowning with distrust, but his words gave me an idea.

"No, Sean," I sighed shortly, trying to make my face as serious as possible. I wasn't going to ruin this by looking nervous or worried. They might take that the wrong way. "He took some tests."

Okay, that was good. _We're getting somewhere now_ , I thought somewhat smugly. I could just tell them what Dr. Roberts did, step-by-step, and maybe one of them would eventually catch on and say the words so I wouldn't have to!

Not too shabby, Sang.

After my internal, albeit slightly premature victory dance, I realized that none of the boys were offering their own input or guesses so I seemed to be on my own with this one. Glancing around the room, I noticed I still had everyone's rapt attention but their expressions weren't as intrigued anymore.

They looked almost...afraid.

Oh no, did they already guess? Do they not want this? Gabriel's face was unusually pale, and I tried to recall anytime he mentioned not wanting kids but all I could think of were times he said he couldn't wait to braid a miniature-Sang's hair before she went off to school. Or all those times we walked by a baby clothes store and his eyes trailed over the displays longingly.

That meant he _wanted_ kids. Right? There was no way I'd been reading that wrong.

I faltered in my explanation as Silas started mumbling under his breath in Greek. I didn't recognize any of the words, but North made no move to respond as he stared at me with unseeing eyes.

Their reactions so far were starting to freak me out. Surely they should be happy.

"He found...something," I explained slowly, not sure what exactly I should call it. A baby? A fetus? An embryo? Technically he didn't find _it_ , he just found evidence in my blood that proved it was there.

Luke's face turned slightly green, and I blanched. Nathan's fists clenched as his intense gaze didn't leave my face. I was positive this wasn't how future dads reacted in the movies. Maybe they were overwhelmed? But the silence and negative reactions were throwing me off, and I wasn't sure how to continue. Any trace of fake confidence had dwindled and disappeared.

"Sang?" Dr. Sean caught my attention, hesitantly rising from his spot next to Owen on the couch with one of the most serious expressions I've seen grace his handsome face. His mouth opened and closed a few times wordlessly before he cleared his throat. "Did he...oh God, did Phil find a tumor?"

I couldn't stop the tears from streaming down my face as I realized the grave mistake I'd just made. Dr. Roberts wasn't an OBGYN; he didn't normally deal with pregnancies. In fact, he's a cancer specialist who doesn't normally do yearly check-ups. It was a favor to our family that he became my personal doctor in the first place.

The tears had an immediate affect on the already distressed boys, if Gabriel's strangled moan or North's ragged breathing were any indication.

"No, no!" I threw up my hands as if I could ward off their negative thoughts, shaking my head. "No tumor!"

Sean sank back into his seat with almost tangible relief, a weight seeming to lift from the room as I took in everyone's relieved expressions. Owen took a moment to loosen his tie before slipping it off and placing it on the end table next to him.

If my blundered announcement was affecting the ever-presentable Mr. Blackbourne this way, maybe I should just give up now and have Dr. Roberts drive over to deliver the news.

"I'm not sure how to tell you," I admitted hesitantly under their full attention. That pesky shyness was kicking in as the announcement stretched on.

"Just blurt it out, Pookie," Sean suggested, bringing his glass of water up for a few long gulps.

"We're here for you, no matter what," Nathan assured me from his spot, his serious blue eyes giving me new strength.

"Okay," I nodded, taking another breath. I'll count to three, and then I'll tell them. Just blurt it out. Get it out there and deal with whatever reactions come flying back.

Okay.

 _One_ , I counted as I breathed in.

 _Two_ , I thought as I let the breath out.

Wait, that's it!

With a small smile, I lifted my chin.

"I'm going to need a little help to tell you guys, though," I explained slowly, the small seed forming into a plan in my mind. While not a grand gesture, it would at least be better than simply blurting out that I was growing a tiny human inside of me.

Well, that was a sobering thought.

"What do you need, _Aggele?_ " Silas asked with concern, standing up from his place on the couch.

"Sit down, Silas," I said while smiling, motioning Nathan to sit back in his spot as well when he followed Silas's lead. "I'll need Kota to help with this one."

"Me?" Kota asked in surprise, pointing to his own chest in question.

"Unless you're not Kota anymore," I said with a laugh, walking towards him as he looked back warily.

"Kota?" I prodded him gently, slipping my hand into his and trying to pull him up to join me. With a confused frown, Kota got up and gave my hand a quick squeeze. I pulled him to the middle of the room until we faced the others.

"This'll explain everything, I promise," I spoke to everyone, cursing my stupidity so far with this announcement before turning back to Kota. "Can you do me a favor, Kota?"

"Anything, Ten," Kota answered with a voice so confident and loving, my heart might've melted a bit. I could've asked him to wear a dress and I'm sure he would've done it. Again.

"I just want to make sure everyone's here. Could you please count?" I asked, pursing my lips to hide a smile that I knew was going to erupt soon. Whether it would be a joyful smile or a slightly hysterical one caused by nerves, only time would tell.

"Uh, Sang," Kota gave me a weird look before glancing around the room. "We're all here."

"Please Kota?" I asked hopefully, trying not to pout. "Humor me."

With another confused look and a quick sigh, Kota pointed to himself and spoke clearly, "One."

That single, innocent word uttered from his soft lips caused a storm of butterflies to erupt in my stomach.

"Two," Kota said, pointing to an expressionless Owen.

It was like time froze for a moment.

Out of nowhere, I pictured Owen holding a small baby girl against his immaculate suit; whispering sweet words to her as he rocked her back to sleep.

"Three," Kota continued, nodding at Sean who raised a curious eyebrow at me.

And there he was, chasing a waddling toddler with curls as blonde and wild as his own around the living room. Tickling the giggling boy until Sean himself was breathless with his own laughter.

"Four," Kota moved along to the next couch, pointing right at Nathan.

Water splashed in all directions, hitting my toes as I sat beside the pool. Nathan was grinning with pride while watching as his miniature, four-year old clone with shockingly green eyes kicked around the deep end. The little boy's arm floaties were the only thing keeping him afloat as he "swam for mommy."

"Five," Kota went on, clearing his throat as Victor's eyes met mine.

Those fire eyes danced as I saw our little princess sitting on his lap, her layered dress fanned out and covered in sparkles as she watched in delight while my Prince's fingers flew across the keys. Her improvised contributions might've ruined the piece for most, but somehow it played straight into my heart with more intensity than any lightning bolt.

"Six," Kota turned to Gabriel. My strong, brave, sensitive Gabriel who was too busy fidgeting and fiddling with his earrings to make eye contact with me.

Bubbles everywhere as two identical, young boys with mops of blonde hair gazed up at Gabriel. Their crystal, bright blue eyes were wide with excitement while he lectured them on the importance of a good conditioner. They nodded along as he squeezed the liquid into their hair, giggling as Gabriel scrubbed and styled their lathered hair into mini-mohawks.

"Seven," Kota's voice pulled me back as Luke grinned up at me. His grin was unsure but warm, and how could I picture my Luke any other way but with a mini-chef?

Flour everywhere, egg yolk dripping from the ceiling, and small footprints which I actually _hoped_ were chocolate trailing from the refrigerator to behind the counter. An impossibly wide grin on his small face as he proudly held up the plate of cookies to me, both eyes twinkling mischievously as I noticed four empty spots on the plate. Luke could be heard snickering from beneath the table.

"Eight," Kota said next as we turned to North, his eyes already fixed intently on me.

He was angry. He was trying to hide it, but we all knew the instinct to punch a wall was becoming unbearable as North told our sixteen-year old daughter to change her outfit for the _third_ time this morning. After all, showing the skin on her arms may give "horny, high school assholes" the wrong idea.

"Nine," Kota continued, nodding to Silas who was looking calm.

She looked so small in his hands. His arms were raised high above his head as her Supergirl cape billowed in the wind. Silas was jogging down the sidewalk with her, dodging other trick-or-treaters with ease as I fought down my instinct to yell after them to be careful.

Kota's thumb rubbing against the hand he was holding caught my attention as I turned back to him, the daydreams fading. My heart skipped a beat as those gorgeous green eyes met mine, and I knew I was going to change all of their lives in about six seconds.

Kota bent down, sweetly rubbing his nose once, twice against mine before pulling back with a soft smile and murmuring, "Ten."

It was now or never.

With a deep breath, I took Kota's hand that was still entwined with mine and tugged it towards me. His body turned with the motion and his right hand came up to settle on my lower back. Opening his palm, my slightly shaking hands placed it as gently as I could on my stomach. His fingers splayed out, flexing against my sweater. With a grin, I took in my boys' faces. Confusion still curtained most of their features, aside from Sean's eyes widening in realization and Owen's stoic expression. With a happy sigh, I looked back up at Kota.

"Eleven," I counted, my voice quieter than usual but still managing to carry throughout the uncharacteristically silent room. There was a pause. One tiny, suspended moment in time where I felt absolutely weightless as I watched the puzzle pieces lock into place in Kota's eyes.

"Holy shit!" Gabriel screamed from the couch as Kota's hand jerked against my stomach. I'm not sure what happened after that, but I could barely tell up from down as I was pulled against Kota's chest. There was so much noise, some of them words but mostly just sounds. Somehow, through the madness, I still heard Luke yelling about finally having enough people to make our own soccer team.

Other arms joined Kota's, the scent of leather and cypress joining his sweet spice as Nathan repeatedly kissed my visible, wet cheek.

"Holy hell, Peanut," he breathed against my cheek in a disbelief I was very familiar with. "You almost gave me a heart attack. I can't...I can't even wrap my head around it."

"Trust me, Honey, it hasn't sunk in for me yet either," I assured him breathlessly, turning slightly in their arms to smile up at him as I felt the adrenaline coursing through my system.

"Come on, you bastards! Give someone else a fucking turn," Gabriel cried out with impatience, and I could just see him moving anxiously behind Kota's shoulder.

"I love you, Sang," Kota murmured with a staggering amount of emotion in his voice, giving me a sweet kiss on the lips as him and Nathan let go. It didn't take more than half a second for Gabriel to swoop in.

"Don't you ever, _ever_ fucking scare me like that again, Trouble!" Gabriel exclaimed, his voice filled with both happiness and relief as he squeezed me almost painfully against him. "Ever. Ever. Ever. Ever. _Ever._ "

"I'm sorry, Meanie," I apologized sincerely, squeezing him back tightly. "I had forgotten Dr. Roberts was an oncologist. I didn't mean to scare everyone."

"Well, you wouldn't be Trouble if you didn't give each of us a fucking heart attack every once in awhile to keep us on our toes," Gabriel grinned, practically bursting with excitement while one of his hands dropped to my stomach, as if he expected to feel the baby himself. "I can't even fucking believe it. I mean, _shit!_ "

Shit, indeed.

Giggling as I looking up into his crystal blue eyes, mesmerized by the way they sparkled down at me, all I could do was smile as Gabriel gave me a smacking kiss before spinning me around to face a flustered Luke. His cheeks with flushed with excitement, and I was a little worried by the crazy glint in his eyes.

"Oh my gosh, do you know how amazing this is, Cupcake?" Luke asked in wonder, stepping up and placing both of his hands on my cheeks. "Do you know how many doors this opens for us?"

Well, now I was a little confused.

"I can buy legos again without North getting mad!" Luke exclaimed, practically bouncing on his feet as he beamed. "We can get out my old beanie babies that Uncle made me store away. We can get those awesome hot wheels with an actual track, rubber ducks for bath time, crazy straws for chocolate milk, an easy bake oven - the possibilities are endless! And North can't say a word, because they're _technically_ for the baby!"

"Luke," I laughed in delight as his arms swung around my waist, lifting me up and swinging around in circles as I felt weightless and free.

"Lucian, put her down!" North barked from across the room, causing Luke to abruptly stop his spin and gently lower me to my tip-toes.

"Eh, already protective over the mini-cupcake," Luke smiled, leaning down and giving me a long, sweet kiss. "I guess I'll make sure to get the big legos, so we can avoid a choking hazard and Taylor Junior's wrath."

"Don't you dare let North hear you call him Junior," I warned, leaning up for one more knee-weakening kiss before Luke went running after Gabriel.

And there was my Prince.

"Sang," Victor murmured, stepping away from Nathan and Kota and walking closer.

"Victor," I said with a wobbly smile, still having trouble believing this wasn't some wonderful, incredibly realistic dream that I'd been blessed with.

"Sang," he repeated, his eyes raging with a wild abandon that even Hades would be jealous of.

Neither of us had any words after that. With Victor's eyes, he didn't really need words. I could see every emotion, every inch of happiness. I'm sure he saw the same ones mirrored in my own eyes. Victor pulled me into his arms, and I reluctantly tore my gaze away from his burning eyes as I snuggled into his chest. My heart was ready to burst.

Minutes, hours, centuries later, I pulled back from Victor to see unhushed tears in his eyes. My heart swelled, belatedly realizing that my own tear tracks had yet to slow down as Victor gently wiped them with his smooth, soft thumbs.

"Ooh, Poo- _kie_!" Sean sang, and I could sense his impatience as Victor let go with a smile. I returned it before facing a beaming doctor. "My pumpkin is growing her own little pumpkin!"

"Don't say it like that, Sean!" I warned in alarm, walking into his welcoming embrace. "I've never been much of a gardener."

"I have complete and utter faith in your pumpkin growing," Sean assured me, lying his head on top of mine as he rubbed a soothingly hand up and down my back. "I'm so proud of you, Sang."

""Proud?" I echoed with a quiet snort, trying to stealthily wipe some snot onto my sleeve without him noticing. "For getting pregnant?"

"No, silly, for handling it so well," he corrected, placing a kiss on my hair. "For not panicking or running away, even temporarily. For telling us in such a beautiful way I'm pretty sure even steely-eyes Mr. Enigma over here teared up."

"Oh, you mean when I accidentally lead you all to believe I had cancer?" I choked on a nervous giggle, hugging him tighter.

"Let's not think about that," Sean immediately dismissed. "I'm pretty sure you gave me my first grey hair during that part."

"I'm sorry," I winced, apologizing again. "Honestly, I was kind of hoping one of you would realize what I was getting at and make the announcement for me. I didn't realize how it sounded."

Sean hummed in acknowledgement, lightly swaying me back and forth in his embrace as we simply held each other for a moment.

"God, Sang, I've stood watching those little, tiny babies in the hospital for more hours than I'd probably like to admit," Sean murmured quietly against the top of my head. "And I always imagined one of our own giggling up a storm in one of the empty bassinets."

My heart had been squeezing and jumping and melting and speeding up so often today, I was afraid I might have my own heart attack. Sean's admission had the same effect, and all I could do was try to get some form of intelligible words pushed out.

"Sean, I really d-don't think I have any more tears to spare," I managed to stutter out, my voice thick with emotion. "Don't say anything too sweet or romantic, please. I might faint from dehydration."

"Oh now we can't have that, Mrs. Green!" Sean exclaimed, pulling back giving me a concerned look. "Please, Sang, let me do a quick check-up? I don't have an ultrasound machine here, but I just want to make sure everything is functioning as it should. I have my bag upstairs-"

"Not now, Sean," Owen chided quietly from beside him. "Wait until we've all been given a chance with Sang."

"You're right, Owen," Sean shook his head to clear it before fixing me with a serious look. "In a little while then. But Pookie, know that you have just made me the happiest, happiest, happiest man-err, _doctor,_ don't give me that look, guys! You have just made me the happiest, happiest, happiest, _happiest_ doctor in the whole wide planet! And all other planets. Everywhere, really."

Sean smothered my face with kisses, cutting off any reply I could've attempted to blubber out, before stepping back with a smile.

"I'll go grab my supplies," he beamed before rushing off towards the stairs, leaving me with a very calm, quiet Owen.

"I'm impressed you were able to keep this to yourself for so long," Owen admitted quietly, that millimeter smile taking up residence on his face as he stepped into the space Sean had left. His hand rose, and my eyes fluttered closed as he cupped my cheek.

"Well, you and Sean have always been pretty talented at distracting me," I confessed, revelling in the way his hand gently caressed my cheek.

"Sang," Owen whispered, but I couldn't bring myself to open my eyes and face him. I felt exposed. Owen knew my worries. My doubts. He knew all of them without me having to say a word. Nerves about how our children may be treated by others for having nine daddies. Paranoia about the legal ramifications of having babies in a polyamorous relationship. Would we have to move out of the country? Nerves about myself becoming a mother, when my own experience with the supposedly unconditional bond was filled with death, hatred, and pain.

"So, what do you think?" I asked as my eyes flickered open, shaking off the negative worries and finding myself unable to hold back from asking his opinion any longer.

"Stop seeking my approval, love," Owen chided softly, his forefinger moving up to softly trace down my nose in a featherlight touch.

"I'm pretty sure I'll still be wanting you approval when we're old and grey," I sniffled, bringing a hand up to grip the shirt on his side. "You know, make sure I'm joining the right Bingo club or wearing the classiest old-lady, mothball perfume."

"You'll be too busy keeping us in line to find any time for bingo," Owen said with a straight face, taking my words seriously. "And don't tell Gabriel this, but I prefer your natural scent over his concoctions."

"Okay, that's enough buttering me up," I said with a small hiccup. "Please tell me what you're thinking."

"I care what _you_ are thinking right now, Sang," Owen responded, his eyes searching mine. "What are you feeling? How are you handling this?"

"I'm...," I paused, an entire array of feelings flooding through my system and no doubt flickering across my face like a picture show. One was stronger than the rest, and I grabbed onto it with a vengeance . "I'm happy."

"Then I'll have you know that I have never felt more content, more fulfilled in my entire life than I do in this very moment," Owen spoke slowly, with no small amount of conviction. Each word seeming to have its own meaning as I saw the emotions flickering through his own eyes. "With you."

"Owen," I whispered pathetically, knowing I was one gentle breeze away from collapsing into a sobbing puddle on the floor.

But I stayed standing as Owen's finger tucked under my chin, lifting my face as he bent down and pressed his lips against mine in a soft, loving kiss that filled me with warmth all the way down to the tips of my toes. In the back of my mind, I wondered if my little fetus felt that warmth as well.

"As much as I would adore to hold you in my arms as long as I possibly could, I believe Silas needs you right now," Owen spoke quietly as he pulled back.

"Silas?" I asked him in alarm, looking around the room for my gentle giant. I hadn't noticed much of what was happening outside of my little bubble once the news had been shared, but everyone seemed to be hugging, laughing, and talking excitedly. Except Silas.

I didn't see him anywhere.

"Where is he?" I asked, my alarm growing.

"Relax, Sang," Owen's hands rubbed down my arms once before gently turning me around. "Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you. He's right here."

I turned to see Silas standing quietly besides the windows, all alone.

He looked thoughtful, staring out at the backyard with both hands stuffed in his pockets. I couldn't read any other emotions from his expression, just that he was thinking.

Padding quietly around one of the couches, I approached Silas with a sudden apprehension. What was he thinking so in depth about?"

"Silas?" I called quietly, slowly brushing my fingers against his arm to get his attention. He jumped slightly before turning towards me and blinking slowly.

"Sang?" He asked back, causing me to let out a giggle that was half amused and half nervous.

"Yes, it's me," I smiled, hoping he'd say something without me needing to bring it up. Silas's lips didn't even twitch in response, but his gaze slowly slid down to my stomach. The silence stretched, Silas's attention on me while simultaneously in some place far away.

I took a deep breath, preparing to say something, _anything_. Maybe I'd ask him how the Red Sox were doing. Anything but the silence.

Before I could get a word out, Silas sank to his knees in front of me. I jumped in surprise at his movement, but calmed as I watched his expression puzzling through something. Then my strong, quiet Superman's eyes filled with tears and mine automatically mirrored the action as Silas placed both of his hands on my belly.

"έντεκα?" Silas choked out as his humongous hands spread out reverently across my belly, his fingers so long they wrapped around my sides. Those deep brown eyes flew up to mine, filled with such hope and wonder I felt my body start to shake with suppressed sobs. "Truly?"

"Does that mean 'baby'?" I blubbered through my tears, placing my hands over his.

"It means eleven," North's voice was gruffer than usual as he snuck up behind me and placed his chin atop my head. Gentle, calloused hands found the tops of mine, and I became a Sang Sandwich between my two fierce protectors.

"You're happy, North?" I whispered, leaning my head into the hollow of his neck, almost too afraid to look up and read his expression. He'd been too quiet.

"You have no idea how happy this makes me," North whispered back, his voice deep and sure. "I'm over the moon, baby."

"Over the moon, huh? But I thought that was an everyday occurrence for a star," I quietly sassed back with a smile, closing my eyes as Silas placed a kiss to my belly button. All of them had responded positively. It wasn't that I'd expected any differently, but the relief was still palpable as I melted in North's arms.

"With you in my life?" North asked in a gruff voice before his lips met the top of my head in a lingering kiss. Hands tightened around my own as I felt a drop of moisture trickle down from my hairline. "You bet your gorgeous little ass it's an everyday occurrence."

A/N: Fluff.


	4. Chapter Four: The Bagel Chart

"You must be exhausted," Victor murmured against my ear, his lips tickling slightly as they ghosted over my skin.

"No, no. I'm really not," I denied, shaking my head lightly against his shoulder. I knew that while the adrenaline was fading, it wasn't exhaustion I was feeling. It was content. "Besides, there's no way I could fall asleep now."

An hour had passed since I told them. One crazy, tear-filled hour consisting of enough hugs and kisses to make me the happiest girl in the world. All of the movement and spinning was making me a little light-headed, so we'd finally slowed down. I was currently cozied up with Victor on the couch. My tears had miraculously dried up, and I was happy to sit around with boys while we had some unexpected free time.

"You can doze off here, Princess," Victor pressed gently, slowly rocking his body side to side against the couch. Since I was on his lap, I swayed along with him. Sleep was enticing, but staying awake was too important to pass up. "I promise not to let Luke put Play-Doh in your hair or super glue your toes together."

"That was one time!" Luke shouted from the kitchen where he was stirring baking ingredients into a bowl, causing me to laugh. His grin was both cheeky and charming as he sent me a wink. I knew he was busy making some sort of celebration cake, which North surprisingly hadn't batted an eye at, but I wasn't sure which flavor. He claimed it was a surprise.

"I don't want to miss anything," I answered quickly, turning around slightly to smile at Victor. I'm not sure if it were physically possible for a smile to be permanently stuck on one's face, but mine hadn't left since Silas and North had carried me over from the windows to join everyone else.

"As you wish," Victor huffed slightly, the sound clashing with his sweet, baritone voice as I snuggled further into his chest. His fingers trailed up and down my sides in a soothing motion.

Sean and Owen had both been standing off to the side for the past ten minutes or so, both heads ducked and discussing something quietly. I didn't have the heart to be suspicious, and they didn't look worried. My eyes were drawn to Gabriel's laptop screen beside me and Victor, where he was staring intently at the screen and mumbling under his breath.

"What are you looking at, Gabriel?" I asked curiously, too lazy to move my head from its comfortable spot on Victor's shoulder.

"Is that Pottery Barn?" Nathan asked, leaning over the back of our couch and eyeing the screen. Something caught his interest and both eyes lit up. "Hmm, that's kinda cute."

Now my curiosity was overpowering my comfort and I shifted on Victor's lap to lean closer to Gabriel. Looking at the screen, I discovered why he hadn't been responding. He was lost in his own little world of online shopping. The screen had endless pictures of toy chests, gliders, changing tables, cribs, and tiny kitchen furniture. My heart melted at the sight, and I felt a surge of excitement.

I'd been so focused so intently on the boys' reactions and the tiny human growing inside of me, I didn't give much thought as to what we would need after it was _finished_ growing.

"Really cute," I agreed softly, eyeing a little girl placing fake food onto the tiny kitchen table. My mind immediately tried to picture miniatures versions of the boys in her place. I pointed towards a comfy looking chair. "Why is that chair in the nursery furniture section?"

Gabriel seemed to snap out of his trance, turning towards me in surprise.

"Oh, that? It's a swivel chair and rocker. You can't tell just looking at it, but it's very similar to the gliders," Gabriel explained, opening up the photo I pointed to and showing me a closer look. "It just gives a different look and is a hell of a lot comfier."

"Hmm," I hummed thoughtfully, smiling when I thought of sitting in one and holding our baby.

A shadow loomed over the laptop, and I leaned back against Victor, looking up to see Silas smiling down at us.

"You've had her long enough, Vic," Silas said, offering a hand to me. "My turn."

Victor sighed, squeezing his arms tighter around me for a moment before letting go.

"If he wasn't so big, I would've demanded five more minutes," Victor murmured against my neck, placing a soft kiss there as I set my hand in Silas's.

"I could be as small as a raisin and you wouldn't be able to keep me from _aggele mou_ , Victor," Silas retorted, pulling me up and keeping one hand wrapped around mine as he led me to the couch across from us.

Kota was snug against one side of the couch, scrolling through something on his iPad while North sat silently next to him.

"What are you looking at, Kota?" I asked him curiously as Silas pulled me towards the couch and dropped down next to North.

"Uh, nothing really," Kota shrugged as I slid onto Silas's lap. North took hold of my knees, swinging them up until my calves fell onto his lap. I tried to peek over North to see what was on Kota's iPad, but he aimed the screen away from me. I looked up to see a blush tinting his cheeks.

"Kota, are you blushing?" I asked in surprise, my lips twitching into a smile. My eyes were puffier than usual from all of the crying, which made my vision a little blurry, but I could've sworn he looked embarrassed.

"Well, shit. Now you really need to tell us what's on that screen," Gabriel said, looking up from his laptop.

"He's just been reading something," North shrugged, wrapping his long, humongous fingers around my sock-covered feet. "I haven't seen a single picture and he's been at it for the last ten minutes. Probably something about Physics."

"Physics, sure," Gabriel snorted, snapping his laptop down and narrowing both eyes at Kota, who was still noticeably quiet. "Fess up."

"Fine," Kota sighed, clearing his throat slightly and tapping the iPad against his thigh. "I downloaded a few pregnancy books."

"Pregnancy books?" Gabriel echoed, his voice slightly louder and drawing the others' attention. "Like the ones women get about 'what to expect when they're expecting'?"

"They make books for men, too," Kota defended, bristling slightly as his shoulders tensed. "I just got a few informational ones to make sure we're prepared."

"How many is 'a few,' Kota?" Sean asked with twitching lips, both him and Owen walking over towards us.

"Seventeen," Kota answered after a beat, tilting his chin up almost defiantly. Gabriel and Nathan snickered quietly, but North leaned towards the iPad and tried to get a closer look at the text.

"Which one are you reading now?" I asked gently, leaning my head back against Silas's broad shoulder. North had started massaging my feet, and it was becoming more difficult to keep my eyes open. Silas's warmth wasn't helping, either.

" _Your Pregnancy for the Father-to-Be,_ " Kota answered, turning towards me and offering his warm smile.

"Does it have any of those crazy facts in it?" Gabe asked curiously from his spot across from us. "Like how many diapers you'll go through in the first month? Or if Sang will crave things like pickles with ice cream?"

My stomach rolled at the thought.

"No, it's a little more practical than that," Kota rolled his eyes, flipping the iPad's screen off and on quickly. "There are chapters on pregnancy terms, lifestyle changes, ways to support your partner, and essential steps to prepare for her labor."

"Sounds dull," Gabe rolled his eyes, turning back to the laptop. "I'm sure I can find something better than that."

"What lifestyle changes is it talking about, Kota?" I asked curiously, wondering if it was mostly negative things.

"I haven't finished that chapter yet, but it's mostly areas like health and emotional wellness," Kota explained, scrolling down the page. "Things like an exercise regimen, helping around the house, and a nutrition plan."

"A nutrition plan sounds good, I'll be helping with that," North nodded, his magical fingers working their way up to my ankles as he continued to massage.

"Of course you will," I mumbled under my breath, narrowing my eyes slightly at him. Wasn't it just last week that North said we should all play a new "game" where you only eat meat and food that's green? It didn't work out as well as he'd expected when Luke pulled a green fruit roll-up out of his back pocket.

If Luke wasn't so good at sneaking, I'd be slightly worried that our unborn child would never discover what a cookie is.

"I can speak with Dr. White about getting you some more medically-focused texts, Kota," Sean offered as he walked over behind our couch. "He's been in practice for over twenty years now, and he'll know the best ones."

"That'd be great," Kota's eyes lit up appreciatively.

"Oh shit. This says if a pregnant woman reaches above her head, the umbilical cord could get wrapped around the baby's neck!" Gabriel exclaimed, his eyes widening in alarm as they flew back and forth across the laptop screen.

"That's a lie," Sean snorted, stepping up behind our couch and placing his hands on my suddenly tense shoulders. "There are so many outrageous myths about pregnancy. You just need to ignore them."

"This says wearing high heels can hurt the baby," Gabriel frowned, narrowing his eyes at the screen. "I'm not putting Trouble in flats for nine months straight. What is this shit?"

"A myth, Gabe," Sean laughed, massaging my shoulders as I leaned against Silas. "Although misleading, it does have a spot of truth. During pregnancy, a woman's center of gravity will change and she can become less steady on her feet. Heels can be dangerous then, but by themselves they will not hurt the baby."

"Here, go to this page," Nathan told Gabriel, pointing at something on the screen. "It says actual facts in the description."

"Cool," Gabriel agreed, clicking and re-situating himself on the couch.

"Just because it says facts doesn't mean you should trust it," Sean chided, giving my shoulders one last squeeze before letting go and heading towards the empty couch. He plopped down as Owen came around to sit beside him. "I'd stick to medical journals and articles that have proper citing from medical professionals on them. Internet sites full of advertisements can't be trusted."

"They can be a lot more interesting, though," Nathan grinned, leaning forward to read the screen.

"Hey Sang, get a load of this," Gabriel called over, his eyebrows raised in disbelief. "Did you know that when you're in labor your cervix will dilate to the size of a bagel?"

The room fell silent.

"What?" Nathan breathed out in mild horror.

I just stared blankly at the carpet.

"Damn, I wonder if I could fit my head inside it," Gabriel said thoughtfully, causing me to gag slightly on air.

"Ew!" I cried, my body squirming in disgust at the idea.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Gabe?" North barked, his face pulled into a grimace.

"I was just wondering!" Gabriel defended. "I never said I wanted to _try_ it."

"Is that true, Dr. Sean?" I asked nervously, looking up towards the doctor. "Am I really going to...is it even capable of...that's a myth, right?"

"Don't be worried, Pookie," Sean tried to reassure me, shaking his head. "It's all very natural and a _good_ thing. If you didn't dilate that much, there's no way the head could fit through without tearing your vaginal walls."

Flinching, I put a hand to my stomach. Unsure if I was feeling nauseous or faint, I tried not to think about an actual baby coming out of me. A baby that could possibly belong to Silas.

My breathing started to become shallow, and Silas brought a hand up to rub my thigh soothingly. It had the opposite of a calming effect as I was reminded just how big his hand was. Silas's fingers alone with bigger than hot dogs.

His baby's head would probably be bigger than mine.

Oh my.

"Sang, _Sang._ Breathe," Sean's comforting voice spoke firmly into my ear. Panting slightly, I looked up to see Sean's worried face hovering over me. "In through your nose, out through your mouth. Deep breaths."

"I can't do this," I shook my head adamantly, horror scenes of a bloody delivery room with a stuck baby flitting through my vision. "I can't fit a baby through there! This is crazy."

"Sang, Pumpkin, yes you can," Sean assured me, squeezing my hand as his other caressed my cheek. "There's a reason they call it the miracle of childbirth."

"There's no way it will fit," I pressed, my head continuing to shake against his head as Silas tightened his arms around me. "What if the baby is Silas's? It'll get stuck and hurt!"

Silas stiffened beneath me, but his fingers continued to rub circles against the skin underneath my sweater.

"Sweetie-pie, I need you breathe," Sean ordered firmly, ignoring my worries as he rubbed a hand up and down my back. "We can talk about this, but first I need you to calm down. Please, Sang, deep breath in."

I breathed in as deeply as I could, gasping slightly as it was cut off and I tried again. Breathing in deeply, I held it for a moment as Sean nodded encouragingly and I let it out through my mouth.

"Again, _aggele mou,_ " Silas whispered against my ear, his voice concerned.

I breathed in again, tightening my grip on Silas's forearm before letting the breath out slowly.

"That's my girl," Sean grinned softly, leaning back on his heels as I felt my breathing even out. I kept my gaze locked on Sean's, too embarrassed to look up and see the boys' concerned faces. North's grip had tightened almost painfully on my ankles. The one thing he never knew how to protect me from was myself. I swallowed again before looking up at him, his grip loosening slightly as I offered him a wobbly smile.

"Sorry," I mumbled as his shoulders sank slightly, the room itself seeming to let out of a breath of relief.

"As long as still you're breathing, baby," North spoke gruffly, dismissing my apology as his thumb passed over my anklebone.

"Pumpkin?" Sean caught my attention, still crouched down in front of me. "Are you okay with me checking a few things now? And I'll explain a little more about labor."

"Dr. Sean, I don't know what you even want to check. The baby is so tiny right now," I reasoned, giving him a small smile as I actively tried not to think of how big the baby was eventually going to get.

"I just want to check your vitals and make sure _you're_ healthy," Sean replied, giving me a hopeful look.

"Okay," I gave in, unwinding Silas's arms from around my waist and sliding off his lap. North frowned as he let go of my ankles.

"Gabe, swap spots with us," Sean ordered, leading me over to the couch.

"What spot?" Gabriel scrunched up his face at us. His eyes looked over me in concern before seemingly satisfied as he pointed towards North and Silas's couch. "You want me to sit on Silas's lap?"

"Just move to a spot next to Owen and Nate," Sean rolled his eyes, nodding towards the other couch.

"Oh sure, don't make Owen move," Gabriel grumbled, grabbing up his laptop and notebook before sliding off the couch and shuffling over to the other one. Sean picked up his bag from the floor and ushered me to sit down beside Victor.

"Have a seat, lovebug," Sean chirped, his voice filled with forced cheer as I perched on the edge of the couch.

"Cupcake, do you want to help me pour the batter into this pan?" Luke called softly from the kitchen. I looked up to see his concerned gaze on me as well, before he planted a smile on his face and wiggled his eyebrows playfully. "I'll even let you help lick the bowl. Maybe. If there's any left when I'm done."

"No thank you, Luke," I shook my head, grinning slightly.

"Here you go, Pookie," Sean said, slipping a blood pressure cuff over my hand and sliding it up my arm. He tightened it until my arm a little uncomfortably before he began squeezing the bulb repeatedly and causing the cuff to inflate. My arm began to feel a little numb as he monitored the results before repeating the process again.

"Beautiful," Sean said in approval, leaning forward to kiss my nose as he unfastened the cuff and slid it off my arm. I'd never had a doctor say my blood pressure was _beautiful_ before. "Let's practice your breathing again now."

Sean pulled out a stethoscope as I heard Gabriel telling the others about a site he found that sold penguin-shaped urinals for toddlers.

"Who would want to piss in that?" North scowled.

"I don't know, it looks pretty cool," Nathan remarked thoughtfully, making me giggle a bit.

"Deep breath in through your mouth, Pookie," Sean ordered, placing the stethoscope against my chest. I inhaled deeply, holding it for a moment before he nodded and I let it out.

"Good girl," he cooed, moving a few inches to the left and nodding. "Again."

Breathing in again, I looked across the coffee table to see Silas and North speaking quietly to each other. Kota was back to reading his iPad. Nathan and Gabriel were huddled over the laptop again, and Owen was scrolling through his phone. I felt that itchy feeling of being watched, and after a quick glance to see Luke placing a pan in the oven, I turned to see Victor gazing intently at me. His eyes were simmering on low as his lips parted in a warm smile.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Victor murmured, scooting slightly closer on the couch while still leaving room for Sean's bag between us.

I reached out and picked lightly at the zipper on the medical bag, stalling a little as I considered it.

"Not right now," I decided, sighing as Sean moved the stethoscope lower to my stomach. "If I think about it too much, I feel myself starting to freak out again."

"Sang, your body was made for this," Sean assured me, nodding for me to take a deep breath again. "Women have been doing it long before epidurals or c-sections. If, and I mean this as a very strong _if_ , something goes wrong then we'll have the best team of doctors on the East Coast there to make sure everyone is okay."

"I don't want to think about it right now," I shook my head tightly, the visions of a baby getting stuck and being smothered returning with a vengeance. I took another deep breath, pushing them out of my mind. Sean squeezed my knee lightly as I let the breath out. "I understand what you're saying. It's just scary."

"I'll set us up an appointment with Dr. White to go ease your worries later," Sean said, placing the stethoscope in his bag before pulling out a light stick.

"Dr. White?" I echoed, remembering him mention that name earlier. "Why not Dr. Swan? I've been going to her for years now. I trust her."

"Dr. Swan is a great OB GYN, but she isn't as experienced with actual pregnancies or childbirth," Sean dismissed easily, pulling my chin down as he shined the light inside my open mouth. "Dr. White is our most established delivery doctor at the hospital. He would've been your regular OB GYN if these cavemen behind me understood that a man could look at a woman's private parts with purely medical intentions."

"You didn't see him look at Sang's ass when we visited one afternoon," Nathan argued from his couch.

"Kenneth is a happily married man who is also twenty years Sang's senior," Sean responded in exasperation, moving the light up to flicker back and forth between my eyes. "Look up, sweetheart."

"Dr. White also has a daughter who is about Sang's age," Owen added calmly.

"That hasn't stopped men before," Gabriel snorted with a frown. "Plenty of grandpas have girlfriends not even half their age."

"Have you had any soreness lately, Pookie?" Sean asked, cutting off the conversation as he turned off the light and leaned forward to kiss my nose again.

"No," I shook my head as he pressed two fingers against different areas on my throat. "No soreness. Well, maybe just a little after exercising with Kota and Nathan, but that's always happened."

"Each woman's first trimester is different, but that's usually a good sign," Sean explained, then his fingers paused against my throat as he seemed to realize something. "How far along did Phil say you were?"

"Oh shit," Gabriel exclaimed, looking up from his laptop as I jumped slightly. His eyes were wide as he looked at me. "We didn't hear anything about the appointment besides him saying you were pregnant!"

"Yeah, what all happened before the blood tests?" Nathan asked curiously, leaning forward in his seat. "Did Dr. Roberts see a pregnant glow or something? Or is he psychic?"

"I, well," I stuttered, feeling overwhelmed as all of their eyes focused on me. Luke had slipped onto the floor in front of Gabriel, and I was struggling to remember what happened in the whirlwind of my appointment.

"How did Phil tell you, Pookie?" Sean pressed lightly, and I held his eyes for a moment to make sure there were no hidden feelings. Sean may have complained a bit about Dr. Roberts being my doctor, but I didn't want him to be hurt about Dr. Roberts being the first to know. However, his curiosity sounded sincere.

"Yeah, Trouble! Tell us fucking everything!" Gabriel exclaimed, his knee bouncing restlessly as Luke's eyes lit up in front of him. "How did Dr. Roberts know? What did he say?"

"Was he surprised?" Luke asked, grinning up at me. "Did he faint? Did _you_ faint? I wonder if a fetus can faint."

"Well, it happened at the end of my checkup," I explained, running my fingers lazily back and forth against my sweater hem as everyone gave me their rapt attention. "Dr. Roberts asked if I had any questions and noticed anything...odd about my health recently."

"Odd? Did you notice something and not tell us?" North asked, and I looked over to see his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"I didn't actively keep anything from you guys," I denied, shaking my head. "I would've told you if I had known it was weird."

"What was it, Sang?" Victor asked softly from beside me. He moved Sean's bag so he could scoot closer, picking up one of my hands and squeezing lightly.

"Well, I was actually just trying to make a joke," I admitted, blushing slightly at my social awkwardness. "I told Dr. Roberts that some sweet foods had started to taste a little sour to me recently."

"Sour chocolate?" Luke asked aloud, his nose scrunching cutely. "That sounds like the worst punishment ever."

"Phil knew to get your bloodwork done just based off that?" Dr. Green asked, his eyes lighting up. "I'm surprised he'd be so aware of the lesser common symptoms like that."

"He said his sister had the same symptom," I explained, shrugging slightly.

"How far along are you?" Sean repeated curiously.

"Umm," I wracked my brain, trying to think back to everything Dr. Roberts said. Everything after the word "pregnant" felt like I was hearing it underwater, and I couldn't sort through everything. "I'm not sure."

"Didn't Dr. Roberts say?" Owen demanded, his voice direct.

"He said a lot of stuff," I hedged, licking my lips lightly. "It didn't really sink in."

"One of us should've been there," North stated, his tone laced with frustration.

"No," I shook my head, trying not to frown. "No. I think I can handle going to the doctor alone, North."

"I know that, Sang," North responded, his voice a little tight. "But I also know it's a lot of information and not something you should find out alone. I know you were overwhelmed."

"I was," I smiled softly. "But I wanted all of you to find out together. It wouldn't have been fair for someone to find out before everyone else."

"Sang's right, and what's the big deal?" Nathan asked from the couch across from me. "She was overwhelmed and missed a little information; it's not the end of the world. We're going to have a lot of doctor visits, ones we can all be at."

"I'll set something up with Dr. Roberts to go over everything," Owen declared, pulling out his phone and walking towards the kitchen. Sean rolled his eyes before standing up, grabbing his medical bag and heading for the stairs.

"Are you still shopping?" Luke asked Gabriel as he jumped up to snag Owen's seat on the couch.

"Nah, looking at more pregnancy facts," Gabriel said, tilting the laptop slightly to show Luke. "There's some pretty awesome stuff here."

"That is most likely not true," Kota added, his eyes glued to the iPad.

"Oh cool, look at this!" Luke exclaimed, tilting the laptop closer to him.

"Oy, watch it!" Gabriel cried, frowning as Luke grabbed the laptop.

"It says if you resist food that you crave during pregnancy, your baby will come out resembling that food," Luke read in amazement, his eyes calculating as he pinned me with a look. "That's it, Sang. You're officially grounded from eating chocolate chip pancakes."

"You want a pancake baby?" North asked flatly as the rest of us laughed.

"Better than a broccoli one," Luke shot back, grinning playfully.

"I think a pineapple baby would be pretty cool," Gabriel smirked, taking the laptop back scrolling further down the list.

"Good news," Owen voice carried from the kitchen has he slipped the phone back into his pocket. "Dr. Roberts has an opening at 3:30."

"When?" I asked in confusion as Owen walked back towards us. Had he already scheduled something for this week? I wouldn't put it past him. "Tomorrow?"

"This afternoon," he confirmed, continuing forward until he was standing right in front of me with an open palm held out in offering.

"But...but that's in thirty minutes," I managed to say, staring at his hand in question.

"Exactly, so we need to get moving," Owen ordered, motioning with his hand for me to take it. I reached up slowly, slipping my hand into his and he pulled me up while turning towards the room. "Work out driving arrangements. Victor, you'll be with Sang, Sean and I as soon as Sean returns downstairs."

The boys nodded in agreement. We tended to have pre-arranged cars most of the time with me being the floater, so everyone started heading towards the foyer. The boys were smiling, and my own grin widened when Owen leaned down to plant a soft kiss on my cheek.

"Oh shit, this one says babies start pissing in the uterus during the second trimester," Gabriel cringed as he looked as his phone. "Then they drink it."

"Ew!" I squealed as Luke snorted a laugh, squeezing Owen's hand as my body spasmed in disgust. "Kota, make him stop reading these lies!"

"Actually, Ten," Kota began slowly, looking at me in hesitation as he held the front door open. "That one's true."


	5. Chapter Five: Button

The sun was still shining brightly for a late November afternoon as Owen pulled into an open spot in the hospital parking lot. I absentmindedly noted that it was three spots away from where I'd had my emotional breakdown

"Dr. Roberts really had an opening for us with such late notice?" I wondered aloud as Victor opened my door, accepting his open palm as he helped me out of the backseat.

"Dr. Roberts informed me that he'd been expecting my call and cleared his afternoon schedule appointments in preparation," Owen explained, locking his BMW before leading the way to our way to the front entrance.

"I told him I wasn't sure if I'd be telling you guys today," I frowned slightly, waving at Kota as he pulled his car into an open spot ahead of us.

"Pumpkin, I'm surprised you made it through lunch without cracking," Sean chuckled from ahead of us. "Dr. Roberts knows you well. He knew you wouldn't last."

"Honestly, I was surprised I made it through lunch, too," I admitted with a frown. Victor chuckled, tugging my hand to pull me closer and placing an arm around my waist.

"Hold up, guys!" Luke called from behind us, and I looked to see the rest of the boys here. Owen stopped at the front entrance and we waited for the rest to catch up.

"You ready, Sang Baby?" North asked lightly, that rare smile overtaking his face as he sidled up next to me.

"I've been through this part already, North," I smiled back, amazed by his excitement. "I'm a lot more prepared this time around."

"Then let's do this, Baby," he smirked, grasping my other hand as we followed Owen and Sean through the entrance.

Dr. Roberts's office was on the the fourth floor, and we quickly packed all together in one elevator to make our way up.

"This would be a bad time for a blackout," Nathan observed from his spot sandwiched between Silas and Kota.

"No negative thoughts, Nate!" Sean scolded lightly, fidgeting closer to the doors as we reached the third floor. "They might come true if you think them too much."

The elevator bell dinged, doors opening and letting us escape. I followed North out of the doors, still grasping both his and Victor's hands.

Dr. Roberts's office was two doors down, and North pounded four times on the door before opening it himself and ushering me inside.

"Good afternoon, Sang," Dr. Roberts smiled as he looked up from his desk. He caught sight the boys trailing in behind me, and those soft eyes of his sparkled. "I take it they all know?"

I could only get in a short nod before Sean stepped forward with a purpose.

"How could you do this to me, Phil?" He cried in mock-outrage. "No hints? Warnings? You've known for hours now and couldn't give me a simple heads up?"

"I apologize, Sean," Dr. Roberts grinned good-naturedly as he stood up. "But I knew this lovely little bird wanted to tell you herself."

"It's fine," Sean pretended to grumble as he crossed his arms with a pout. "You can make it up to me with apple pie and less rotations starting at five in the morning."

"How about an ultrasound instead?" Dr. Roberts offered with twinkling eyes, and I watched the boys' faces light up. My own smile grew a few sizes.

"Fine," Sean sniffed before reaching up to the collar of his shirt. In one swift movement, he pulled the shirt over his head and my jaw dropped open.

"Sean!" I exclaimed, unable to stop my eyes from watching his muscles flex as he brought both arms back down to his sides.

"Where do you want me, Doc?" Sean asked, looking around the room before spotting a chair in front of Dr. Roberts's desk. "And the gel better not be too cold. I have sensitive skin."

As it dawned on me what Sean was doing, I burst into a fit of giggles as some of the other boys rolled their eyes. Both Dr. Roberts and Owen simply sighed.

"Why don't you all follow me?" Dr. Roberts asked, smiling warmly and gesturing towards the door. "I have an examination room all ready, and there'll be more room in there for us to talk."

Silas pushed out of the door, and we all followed after him. Dr. Roberts took the lead, stopping at another door halfway down the hall.

We all filtered into the new room, and I noticed it was a little bigger than Dr. Roberts's office. Seating was limited, and Sean led me straight to one of the chairs and helped me sit down. I rolled my eyes but humored him. Dr Roberts pulled a chart off the table and waited for all of us to get situated before speaking.

"First off, congratulations," Dr. Roberts grinned, gesturing to all of us.

"Thanks, Dr. Phil!" Luke beamed, leaping forward to give Dr. Roberts a hug before pulling back with a grin.

"Luke, I've asked you a thousand times not to call me that," Dr. Roberts chuckled, shaking his head at the boy.

"It's not your fault that TV guy gave all Dr. Phils a bad street cred," Luke shrugged, and Dr. Roberts just sighed before turning towards Sean.

"I suppose you're all wondering the basics?" He asked aloud. "How far along Sang is? Her health status? A plan going forward?"

"How did you know I wouldn't remember that stuff?" I asked with a frown.

"Sang, you were more than a little distracted when you first found out," Dr. Roberts explained, his lips twitching slightly. "I wasn't positive you even caught the part about being pregnant. It worried me, so I had a nurse follow you home to make sure you made it back safely."

"You had me tracked and I didn't even notice?" I gasped in surprise, gaping at the kind doctor in front of me.

"Like I said, you were distracted, Sang," Dr. Roberts shook his head with a soft smile. "But you're approximately eight weeks pregnant."

"Two months!" Gabriel exclaimed in alarm, turning towards me with worry-filled eyes. "We have less time to prepare than I thought."

"Fifty-six days," Kota breathed out from beside me, reaching out to grasp my hand. My other hand automatically reached up to cup my stomach. I was having a baby in seven months.

"I believe you promised an ultrasound, Dr. Roberts," Owen prompted from his spot by the door, and I stifled an eye-roll at his overly formal behavior.

"I believe I did," Dr. Roberts responded easily. He seemed to hesitate for a moment before focusing on me. "If I may suggest this without one of them ripping my head off, I'd like to make sure you're aware of how inconsistent an abdominal ultrasound can be at eight weeks. I would recommend a vaginal ultra-"

"Fuck no!" North blurted out, cutting Dr. Roberts off. I jumped slightly, turning towards a fuming North. "I don't know what that is, but I know there is no way in Hell you are going anywhere _near_ that part of Sang's body."

"North!" I exclaimed, feeling my face heat up as I glared at him.

"I believe what North's overprotective instincts are saying is that we'll stick with the abdominal ultrasound, Dr. Roberts," Owen cut in smoothly, pulling everyone's attention back to Dr. Roberts.

"Wonderful," Dr. Roberts nodded with a grin, completely unfazed as he seemed to ignore North's outburst and my blush. "Sang, I'll leave the room for a moment so you can put your gown on; it's on the hook there. Just open the door when you're ready, dear."

Kota handed me the gown as Dr. Roberts slipped out the door, and I turned back around to see everyone watching me expectantly.

"Why are you all looking at me?" I squeaked out, wrinkling my nose.

"Sorry, Pookie," Sean winced, stepping forward and giving me a quick peck on the cheek before grabbing the gown from my hands. "Old habit, I'm afraid. You were the only one given a task, so we were just waiting for you to complete it."

I rolled my eyes. Academy boys.

"Besides, why would we ever turn down an opportunity to watch Sang strip?" Luke added as I started to lift my sweater up.

"Let me help you with that, sweetie," Kota offered, grabbing the sweater's hem and starting to pull up.

"Kota!" I cried, pulling away as the sweater moved up to above my shoulders. "I'm two months pregnant, not invalid. I don't need help getting undressed."

"I can think of a number of times you've needed help getting out of your clothes," North offered helpfully, his heated gaze sliding down and back up my body. I repressed a shiver.

"Well, not now," I huffed, pulling the sweater completed off and depositing it on Kota's abandoned chair.

"It's alright, Pookie. Just ignore those silly boys who only want to help you," Sean grinned teasingly, holding the gown open for me. "How dare they be so considerate!"

"I'm sorry," I sighed, deflating slightly as I slipped both arms through the holes. "I know you're all just trying to be helpful, and it's instinct for you. I've just gotten used to a little more leniency over the years, and it feels like we're back to square one."

"You're fine, Sang," Kota smiled, stepping forward to kiss my forehead but not making any moves to help me tie the gown in place. "I'm sorry, too. This is all new to us, but we'll figure it out as we go."

"Wise words from our leader," Gabriel praised, raising his hands up before bowing towards Kota. Luke joined him a split-second later, causing the rest to laugh.

"Dr. Roberts?" Owen called, cracking the door slightly as I finished tying the gown around myself. "We're ready."

"Alright, let's begin," Dr. Roberts beamed softly as he walked through the door. "Hop on up, Sang. Get comfortable."

I eyed the seat hesitantly. It looked similar to my OB GYN's chair, but thankfully it lacked the stirrups. I hopped up, the boys thankfully realizing that I didn't need their assistance to sit down. The paper crinkled beneath, causing me to cringe slightly but I did my best to ignore it.

"I'm going to open part of the gown," Dr. Roberts explained, wheeling a cart over to me with a computer monitor on top of it. "I'm giving fair warning so none of you sucker punch me."

"We're not neanderthals, Phil. Give us a little credit," Sean rolled his eyes and stepped up to my other side. "Do you think we'll be able to see anything?"

"It's hard to say, especially with an abdominal ultrasound," Dr. Roberts reasoned as he pulled out something that looked like a cross between a microphone and a computer mouse. "This is a transducer, dear. It's what I'll use against your stomach to try and get a visual on the embryo."

"Okay," I nodded, leaning back in the chair and waiting for him to begin.

Dr. Roberts gently opened the front of my gown, revealing my stomach and a bit of my bra. Thankfully none of the boys made a peep as brought out a bottle of something and squeezed the gel onto my stomach.

"Oooh," I breathed out, sucking my stomach in at the cold sensation.

"Sorry, Sang, it's usually better to just go for it than warn the patient," Dr. Roberts grinned. "The gel can seem even colder if I warn you it's going to be cold."

"I don't know if it's possible to be golder than this," I breathed out again, the cold sensation sinking into my skin.

"I'm just going to move the gel around a bit, now, ah!" Dr. Roberts rubbed the transducer against my stomach, keeping his eyes on the screen. "Give me a moment, and I'll see if we can find this baby."

I started feeling nervous as Dr. Roberts began touching different dials and pressing buttons. Silas came up and pressed a comforting hand atop my head, massaging my scalp in a soothing motion.

"Ah, and here the little one is!" Dr. Roberts suddenly exclaimed, and my heart jolted into my throat. He actually found it?

The boys rushed forward, huddling around my chair and the screen to get a look.

"Where the fuck is it?" North demanded, his eyes narrowing dangerously on the screen.

"Is that it?" Gabriel cried, pointing at something on the screen that my eyes tried anxiously to follow. "Oh my God, it's huge!"

"No, son, that's not it," Dr. Roberts chuckled, his hand holding the transducer still against my stomach as I was tempted to move. He pointed towards the screen with his free hand. "Right there."

"Where?" Luke echoed, his brow wrinkling in confusion.

"See that little tan-ish dot?" Dr. Roberts asked, keeping his finger on the screen but looking around at us. I was too overwhelmed trying to watch both the screen and the boys that I couldn't answer him.

"No," Luke shook his head, Nathan shaking his own a moment later.

"This, right here!" Dr. Roberts repeated, pointing again. I leaned forward slightly, careful not to bother the transducer as I moved. "It almost looks like a very small button?"

"Oh, _that_?" Kota said in surprise, leaning closer as well. "But it's so tiny."

"It's only been eight weeks, Kota," Dr. Roberts chuckled. "Sang isn't even near beginning to show; you guys have a long way to go still."

"Do you see it, _Aggele?_ " Silas asked me in a low voice, and I looked up to see his eyes riveted to the screen. I followed his gaze, zoning in on the little dot as cute as a button.

"I see it," I whispered, but my eyes were pooling with tears so quickly that it was just a moment later that I couldn't see much of anything.

"Sang, sweetie," Kota cooed, stepping forward and pulling me into a warm embrace. It was awkward with Dr. Roberts still holding the gear against my stomach, but I was grateful as Kota's warmth seeped into me. "You're amazing, Ten."

"You guys are amazing," I countered, shaking my head against his chest. "We're having a _baby_ , Kota."

"Don't sound so surprised," Kota laughed, rubbing a hand up and down my back twice before backing away slightly.

Silas placed a lingering kiss on my hair before heading towards the screen as well, and Nathan pulled a seat over and took his spot next to me.

"Guess I can't really call you Peanut anymore now, can I?" Nathan turned to me with a blinding smile before his eyes were pulled back to the screen. His arm came up, lying comfortably below my chest and I reached for it. "It's so tiny."

"Nu uh," I shook my head decidedly while running my fingers softly over Nathan's forearm. "I may love this little baby more than life already, but no way am I letting them take my nickname!"

"I'm just kidding, Peanut," Nathan chuckled, leaning forward and placing a soft kiss on my shoulder. "Thank you."

I gave Nathan an odd look. He'd said that so seriously, you'd think I did all the work and was giving this baby to him as a present.

"What are you thanking me for?" I asked, shaking my head in confusion. "Having sex?"

Dr. Roberts let out a pointed cough from his spot near the monitor, and I gave him an apologetic grin. Thankfully only a small blush surfaced.

"Thank you for not giving up on me," Nathan explained quietly, scooting forward in his chair until his face was close enough to mine that we could speak somewhat privately. The others continued their own conversations while I turned to Nathan. "Thank you for showing me that life doesn't have to be normal. That I can be just as happy and content, if not more so, with a crazy family like ours."

The tears were back. I couldn't do anything to stop them streaming down my face as Nathan kissed both cheeks and ran a soothing hand through my hair.

"I've seen normal, Honey," I whispered back as a watery hiccup slipped out. "I used to crave it. But if normal means giving up eight pieces of my heart, then I don't ever want to be it. Not when this is _so_ much better than normal."

Nathan's eyes welled up with tears in response, and he leaned down to kiss away my tear tracks. When I had them somewhat under control, he looked back at the screen and ran a hand absentmindedly through my hair. The action was almost as effective as a lullaby.

All of the boys had their eyes on the screen, but I couldn't seem to take my eyes off them. Their expressions were so open, so hopeful. So happy. I don't think North was even aware he was smiling right now.

While I wanted to look back at the screen and see my baby that seemed smaller than a drop in the ocean, I was determined to take a mental picture of the scene before me.

But Nathan's hand had moved to rubbing my shoulder, Kota's fingers were counting my toes, and all of the excitement became too much for me. I vaguely heard Sean commenting that the baby had his adoptive grandfather's nose before sleep claimed me.

A/N: Thank you for reading! And leaving feedback. It makes me so happy. :)


	6. A Report

**~A~ Report**

 **Chapter Six: One Door Closes**

 _Silas's POV_

She took my breath away.

It'd been almost a decade, and I still couldn't figure out what _exactly_ it was about her. Maybe it was her little toes or that button nose. Her expressive eyes that cut right through my chest, claiming their own exclusive place in my heart. Or that playful smile I'd come to crave.

It could be the way she loved with all her heart. Or the way her entire body clung to me like a koala bear every time we hugged.

No matter what it was, neither English nor Greek had yet come up with a word that encompassed just how much this girl meant to me.

She also drooled a lot when she slept.

"Sweet dreams, _aggele mou,_ " I whispered with a kiss to her forehead, letting my lips linger for a moment before pulling back. She was dead weight as I lowered her down to the mattress, taking a moment to try and fluff the pillow as I propped her up with one arm.

Gently laying her back down and pulling the covers over her relaxed body, I took a step back and narrowed my eyes.

It was appealing. The temptation to crawl in right beside her, wrap her little body up in mine, and fall asleep to the sound of her breathing while the world spun on.

But this couldn't wait. The guys were all gathered downstairs, and we had a limited amount of time before Sang woke up again.

I wiped a bit at the drool stain on my chest, but it didn't bother me enough to change before heading downstairs. Ever the vigilant guard, North was standing at the bottom and kept his eyes trained on me every step. His intensity might've been creepy, if I didn't know what his actual glare looked like.

His scowl right now was closer to a smile.

"She still out?" North asked, turning to walk with me to the living room.

"Like a light," I confirmed as we neared the entryway. I hesitated a moment and North stopped beside me.

"North," I started cautiously, turning to meet him straight on. "We can take a minute-"

"No," he bit out, cutting me off with a sharp shake of his head. "Leave it, Si."

"Fine," I sighed, walking passed him and seeing everyone gathered on the couches. It would all come out in the open in a few minutes, anyways. I saw an open spot on the end of one couch beside Victor, and I strolled over before sitting down on it.

North slumped down between Kota and Nate in the middle one, all three couches forming a "U" shape.

Owen stood from his spot on the other couch once we were all settled, the room oddly silent as we waited. Sean and Luke seemed to have permanent grins plastered on their faces, but Owen's expression looked a little grave.

"I think you all know why we're having this meeting," Owen began simply, his voice carrying easily through the silent room.

We all nodded back, just as serious.

"As you all know, the Academy offers a vasectomy when you turn fifteen," Owen continued, nodding towards Sean. "As your doctor, Sean knows which of you took up this offer. Some of you may have passed on the opportunity, but that is only yours and Sean's business. I am not here to place any blame or point fingers."

We all nodded again unnecessarily, and I did my best not to look around at the others to gauge their expressions. I didn't need to know who was snipped or not, but there was one in particular I was worried about.

"I'm not asking anyone to come forward," Owen continued. "Whether you didn't get the procedure or you had it reversed since then, it's a private matter."

"So it's pretty much guaranteed that the baby isn't mine, then?" North spoke, his voice quiet as he stared determinedly back at Owen.

Owen eyed North carefully for a moment before addressing the group.

"No. This baby is yours," Owen declared firmly and decidedly, leaving no room for argument. "As well as mine, and all of ours."

"I don't give a shit if my baby was made from Silas's swimmers," Gabriel exclaimed as soon as Owen finished. "It's still my fucking baby."

"And that's just going to work?" Victor asked somewhat doubtfully from beside me. "We're all going to be equal fathers for one child?"

"We've shared Sang for this long," Nathan shrugged, a goofy grin taking over his face. "Surely we can learn to share a little baby."

"This is a little different," Victor pointed out quietly. "Yes, our relationship with Sang is taboo and God knows we still have so many people against us, but Sang chose us. We aren't giving this baby a choice; he or she is just forced into this crazy life. And on top of that, we're not having one of us step out as taking on more of a lead paternal role?"

"That's a good point, Victor," Owen agreed with a slight frown. "But children never choose what family they are born into. Did you choose your birth family? No, you chose us. This child will have the same opportunity, because family is always a choice."

Words we all lived by.

"I guess," Victor agreed uncertainly, looking thoughtful.

"I'm not sure about the dynamic," Kota admitted, nodding towards Victor. "With Sang, it came naturally. We were all mostly equal from the beginning, and it just sort of...fit. I'm worried there will be some animosity because one of us is genetically connected to the child."

"Then we'll work through it," Sean spoke up, no laughter in his eyes as he regarded us. "If I remember correctly, there was plenty of animosity during different stages with Sang. Heck, we fought long before we even met Sang, but we're a family. We'll figure it out."

"Well said," Owen agreed before surveying all of us. "Are there any other concerns at this time?"

"I have one," Luke said, raising his hand. When Owen nodded at him, he asked, "Did Sang mention anything about the snipping?"

"In all of the excitement, it seems that she has overlooked it," Owen said with a small sigh.

"Should we tell her?" Luke pressed cautiously.

"If it comes up," Owen nodded slowly, seeming to think it over. "But I don't think it would be best to bring it up ourselves."

"We can't keep secrets from her," Nathan spoke forcefully from his spot. "We promised that a _long_ time ago, even if it's for her safety. She deserves to know."

"Sang's pregnant, Nate," North stated the obvious, leaning forward in his spot on the couch. "You really wanna ruin this for her by telling her we know who's definitely not the father?"

"It wouldn't ruin her pregnancy," Nathan argued, crossing his arms. "She's strong, and she'll still be just as happy. She already knows only one of us is the father."

"True, we already know that eight of us aren't," Kota shrugged. "What's wrong with narrowing it down?"

"You know Sang will find a way to feel guilty about it," North spoke lowly, his tone laced with warning. "I'm not putting that on her."

"I believe that's enough speculation for this evening, gentlemen," Owen cut in, putting a halt to the discussion. "We'll reconvene if the issue escalates, but otherwise there will be no secret meetings. Luke and North, why don't you two plan something for dinner tonight?"

The second those words left Owen's mouth, North was up and storming away. I followed at a slower place as he stomped past the kitchen table. His awareness of Sang's nap was apparent as he refrained from slamming the door against the wall before walking into the attached townhouse. Closing the door, I followed behind silently as we passed the sitting room with Victor's piano and Gabe's easel, and it seemed only seconds later that North had reached the next door.

He was a little less caring with this one, roughly swinging it open before marching into the townhouse that he shared with me and Luke. With a sigh, I took a step back and headed towards the fridge. North could use a minute to cool off.

He wasn't taking it easily. Whether it was the knowledge that it wasn't his baby, worry for Sang going through a pregnancy, or responsibility of another family member to protect, I wasn't sure what the main cause for his attitude was right now.

I was worried about him. All of us hadn't discussed having a child with Sang yet, even though it came up between me and North fairly often now. Wanting to teach a boy how to play ball. Having kids run around in the backyard during a barbeque. Watching Sang become a mom.

It'd been what a lot of us wanted. After today, it seemed we _all_ wanted it.

Taking out the milk, I poured a glass before putting it back in the fridge.

I hadn't gotten the vasectomy.

The thought caused a giddy grin to spread across my face.

I'd always wanted a big, Greek family. The vasectomy wasn't an option. What if something went wrong during the procedure or when I eventually tried to reverse it? It wasn't worth the risk.

Besides, Greeks had always been lovers and they'd gotten along just fine with other forms of birth control before snipping came about.

I'd be really excited to be in the running to be the baby's real baba, if I could get the image of Sang's terrified expression out of my mind.

She'd looked so scared that it could've been mine.

Logically, I knew it had everything to do with her love for the baby and not any lack of love towards me. I guess I was scared, too. Sang was tiny, and if my baby was as big as she expected it to be then Sang could get hurt as well.

It wouldn't change anything to me, though, if the baby wasn't mine. It would still be Sang's, and that's all I needed.

North wasn't taking it as well. Not that he'd let Sang see it, but from the way North's fist dented his jeep door after Owen drove off to the hospital today I knew it was only a matter of time before she noticed something was up.

Draining the glass and adding it to the dishwasher's top rack, I took a breath before following into the silent townhouse. Either he'd already escaped to the garage, or he was punishing himself with silence.

I locked the door behind me, knowing it was more of a signal than a hinderance, and headed towards the TV room. The sun had started setting earlier, and it was getting darker out. North hadn't switched on any lights.

I caught North as he was storming into the TV room himself, a bottle of water in his hand. Following behind, it didn't take him long to break the silence.

"It didn't hit me right away," North grumbled, falling back onto the couch in a heap. I heaved an armchair up and dropped it down across from him, knowing this was going to be a face-to-face talk. "She was being hugged and kissed by everyone and I was just so fucking _happy_ , it didn't even hit me."

"When did you realize it?" I asked calmly, not letting my voice soften like I might've for the other boys. North was volatile, and caring seemed to set him off.

"When Kota was reading those stupid pregnancy books," he explained, closing both eyes as his head leaned back against the couch. "There were charts with pros and cons for each trimester. One of the first pros listed was not needing birth control anymore."

I just nodded, giving him time to sort out his thoughts.

"I hate this," he continued gruffly with a sigh. "I fucking hate feeling like this."

I wasn't stupid enough to ask how he was feeling.

"North," I called for his attention, my voice booming louder than usual in the quiet room. "Brother, it doesn't matter whose baby it is."

"I know," North agreed easily, such strong attitude lacing his tone I had to force myself to roll my eyes so I wouldn't take a swing at him. His eyes snapped open as he glared at everything and nothing. "I don't need to hear that shit again."

"Then hear _me_ ," I pushed, leaning forward in the chair and trying to make eye contact. We'd been brothers for a long time now; avoidance was rare. "It. Doesn't. Matter. Honestly, it could be the milkman's and it wouldn't make a difference."

"What?" North reeled back, but he looked up at me at last. "What the fuck are you on, Si?"

"I don't mean it could _literally_ be the milkman's," I sighed, trying to find the right words to explain this to him. "I'm saying that half of the DNA doesn't even matter. This kid could have Gabe's eyes, Victor's musical talent, or Doc's crazy curls. What really counts is the half that came from Sang. The heart of gold. The open mind. Her curiosity. Those bottomless, green eyes. Don't get held up by the other part."

Another long sigh was his only response, and the silence stretched on. I got up from the chair and moved towards the couch, sinking down next to him. We were all on the same side, even if he couldn't see it.

"Si, it's not mine," North finally spoke, in a voice I hadn't heard since we were boys. He sounded broken.

"North," I huffed a breath, determined to work through this. North didn't stay emotional for long. He couldn't, and we needed to get this out before he went silent on us. I leaned closer until our knees touched, hoping he took some form of comfort in the gesture. "Brother, would it really make a difference if you hadn't been snipped? When that baby's born and you find out it's not yours, would it hit you this hard or would you be overjoyed that you got a kid?"

North grumbled, rubbing those huge paws of his over his face but I couldn't tell if he was hiding his reaction or just tired. Not that I was watching very closely. We may be brothers, but there's a fine line between watching _aggele_ cry and seeing North tear up.

"It's stupid shit, I know," North sighed, slumping back further against the couch. On any other day, we could've just been sitting here and watching the game on TV. "I honestly know I won't give a fuck whose jizz it is when Sang pops the kid out, but _fuck_ if it doesn't suck not being a part of it."

"North," I snorted, unable to help it. "Do you hear yourself right now, αδελφός? Not a part of it, my ass. I saw how you held Sang after we found out. If the only thing causing that look on your face was being included in the pool of names who possibly knocked her up, then maybe you don't deserve to feel included."

"Watch it, Si," North growled, shifting in his seat as his fists clenched. His hands might've been roughed up, but mine still dwarfed them. "Sang has more important things to worry about than a new black eye on your face."

I gave him the benefit of the doubt that he'd even manage to reach my eye, not wanting to poke the angry bear.

"Would that help, North?" I asked seriously, turning to face him squarely on. "Would hitting something help this god damn, pointless soapbox you're on tonight? We've got a punching bag downstairs, or you and I can take this to the backyard. Just say the word."

His hardened gaze met mine, and while fury was the overpowering emotion pooling there it wasn't the only one. Sang was usually the cure when North got this far inside his own head, but that wasn't an option today.

"Let's just watch the game," North sighed, grabbing the flipper from between the couch cushions and pushing the power button hard enough to make it bend. I turned to the screen, too, despite knowing that the only game broadcasting right now would be middle school softball.

We watched an inning in silence, filled with fumbled catches and girls swinging at balls zooming past at eye-level. I don't know about North, but I was picturing one of our own out there and she was doing a hell of a lot better than those rugrats.

"You can go join them, man," North broke the silence, nudging his arm roughly against mine. "They're probably celebrating again by now. You don't need to stick around for my pity party."

"You're not alone, North. You haven't been alone for a long time," I said back, my eyes fixed on the screen as a commercial popped up where Sports Center hosts mimicked a football play. "The only other place I'd want to be right now is upstairs with a sleeping _aggele_. But we both know Luke and Gabe probably already snuck away and are wrapped around her as we speak. Or talking her into some prank."

"Those fuckers are such a bad influence on her," North shook his head, but he was fighting a smile.

"Just wait until they get their hands on this kid," I said, my eyebrows going up as I thought about it. "Someone impressionable and fresh, with enough energy as them. They'll create a little monster."

North barked a laugh, and my smile widened. The softball game came back on the air as North relaxed a little, letting out a sigh.

"They'll be great dads," he acknowledged after a beat.

Maybe it wouldn't be too difficult to pull him out of his funk, after all.

"We all will, North," I assured him with a grin, stealing the flipper from his hand and switching the channel to Nickelodeon.

We had some research to do.

 **A/N: Hi guys. :) So I wasn't sure how this was going to play out, but it covered the majority of what I wanted to for now. I'm a North lover, so I wasn't happy about it. The vasectomy part of CL's plotline is a move I really like, because the ratio of condoms breaking (or just being overlooked) in real life and the resulting birth rate compared to fiction is a little crazy. It just took me awhile to decide how it was going to play out in my story. But more on that later. :)**

 **And like I mentioned before, I'm trying to stay more towards the serious side with this one! I know I have a tendency to lean towards humor, but wanted to give this a shot.**

 **Thanks so much for reading, and all of the feedback so far. It makes my day!**


	7. Chapter Seven: Cake

**Chapter Seven: Cake**

Something was tickling my nose.

It felt almost like a feather, but heavier. Vanilla and butterscotch engulfed my senses, and a smile spread across my face as I realized who was napping with me.

Gabe's chest was solid against my back, one arm wrapped underneath my head as a pillow while the other lay haphazardly on my side. Luke's butt was pushed snuggly against my front as I spooned him.

My eyes grudgingly fluttered open to see his bare back blocking my vision, the ends of his blonde mane teasing my nose as his head was thrown back with his face aimed towards the headboard. I could guarantee his mouth was wide open as soft snores escaped him.

I huffed, the blonde strands billowing out for a moment before coming straight back to attack my face.

A sneeze escaped me, taking all of us by surprise as Gabriel grabbed my side.

"Wuzzat?" Luke mumbled sleepily, stretching his body against me with a yawn. His butt pushed deeper against me, and I understood why the boys told me to stop teasing when I stretched in the mornings. It may not have the same affect on women, but geez he was pushing pretty hard.

"Shit, Luke, watch it," Gabriel grumbled, and I realized Luke's actions had been pushing me harder against Gabriel. I let out a soft snort at Gabriel basically telling Luke to stop pushing against his groin.

"Bumble-zoomy-zoo," Luke mumbled what might've been an apology, ending his stretch and snuggling back against me. My arms were wrapped around his waist, and the right one had definitely gone to sleep awhile ago.

"Luke, why are you never the big spoon?" I whined, blowing his hair away from my face again, only to glare when it came right back.

"Spoon-wumble-woo," Luke answered groggily, and my eyes narrowed at his hair.

"You know your hair always tickles me," I reminded him, burrowing my head against his back to avoid said hair.

"You know I like to be held, Cupcake," Luke explained sleepily, finally managing to find words. "It makes me feel like a cuddly teddy bear."

"Or a girl," Gabriel snorted into my hair.

"Plus, we all know Gabe's morning wood is smaller and less of an annoyance to you in the mornings. I'm just being considerate," Luke responded solemnly. "Mine would be _harder_ to ignore, and probably inside of you by now."

"Hey, watch it," Gabriel exclaimed, throwing a hand out to chop Luke on the head. Unfortunately he didn't reach far enough, and his hand bounced off my eye.

"Ow!" I yelped in surprise, blinking both eyes as Gabriel shifted to sit up.

"Oh shit! Sorry, Sang," he apologized, leaning forward and placing a soft kiss beside my eye. "I was aiming for that bastard. I'm so sorry, Trouble."

"What happened?" Luke asked quickly, finally turning around and getting his hair far away from my face.

"I accidentally chopped her in the eye," Gabriel explained, leaning closer as he examined it. "No idea how I missed your big head. I don't think it was that hard, but we should get some ice on it just in case. Stop any swelling."

"Let's go find an empty kitchen, so nobody asks questions," Luke nodded, bending his head to kiss my nose before slipping off the side of the bed. "Looks like we missed dinner, anyways."

"Like North would let Sang skip a meal," Gabriel snorted as I followed Luke off the bed. "I'm surprised he didn't have something ready on the nightstand for her."

"Maybe he already had me sleep-eat something while we were napping?" I pondered, knowing I wouldn't put that past him.

"You can sleep-eat?" Luke asked, intrigued as we headed towards the door. "I used to try and train myself to do that, but it just ended with cake smushed between my face and the pillow. Icing is harder than you'd think to get out of hair."

I giggled in amusement as he grabbed my hand, pulling me down the stairs. My eye already felt better, and my body was refreshed with new energy.

"Nah, North wouldn't do that," Gabriel shook his head as he followed us. "But check your hands and wrists for any puncture marks. He might've slipped an IV in while you were asleep."

I rolled my eyes as we made it down to the foyer, but the house was surprisingly quiet as we entered the living room. It was deserted.

"How long were we asleep for?" I asked, trying to remember how long we stayed at the hospital.

"About three hours," Gabriel answered, grabbing my other hand and pulling me towards the kitchen.

"Oh look, someone finished baking the cake layers for me!" Luke exclaimed, his eyes lighting up as he let go of my hand and jogged around the counter. "They're still a little warm, but cooled enough for decorating. You guys want to?"

"Let's get some ice on Trouble first," Gabriel decided, walking towards the freezer.

"I'm really fine, Gabriel," I shook my head. "It was just a surprise; I don't need ice."

He turned around, studying me closely for a moment before closing the freezer door with a sigh.

"You already kissed it better, anyways," I added with a smile, kissing his cheek before reaching around him to open a cabinet door. I grabbed three cans of icing and set them on the counter. "Ready to decorate!"

"I already brought all the supplies over from our kitchen earlier today," Luke grinned, pointing towards a big box on the counter as he cut around the edges of the first cake pan. "Grab a spatula, Cupcake."

"You're trusting me to do the base icing?" I grinned, rushing over to the box and grabbing a spatula at random. Luke had a collection of over twenty, and if I looked too long I wouldn't know which one to choose. Besides, this one as pink.

"I'm trusting you to do the fluffy inside," Luke answered, pulling the cake base out of a cabinet and setting it on the counter. He gently took the first circular cake pan and placed it upside down on the base. Luke lifted the pan, and a fluffy, yellow cake sat in it's place.

My mouth watered.

"So what exactly is a 'Pregnancy Celebration Cake'?" Gabriel asked curiously, grabbing a can of white icing and popping it open.

"An excuse to bake a cake," Luke smile turned cheeky as he winked at me. I rolled my eyes, dipping the spatula into Gabriel's icing and plopping it on the center of the cake.

"What are we going to draw on it?" I asked curiously, picturing a cute yellow duck or a stork on the cake.

"We could shape it to look like a tummy, and have a "coming soon" sign on it?" Luke suggested, eyeing the cake inquisitively.

"Nah, that sign would look better on a dick cake," Gabriel dismissed easily, making me choke on air.

"Gabriel!" I admonished, chopping his arm lightly.

"What? It's true!" Gabriel defended with a slight pout. "Why are all the pregnancy cakes about moms and babies? Nobody makes a cake shaped like balls with a 'congratulations' or 'good job' sign on them."

"Maybe because the baby is actually _inside_ the belly _,_ " I reasoned with an eye-roll.

"Besides, there's enough dick cakes at bachelorette parties," Luke added helpfully.

My face flushed with heat, recalling my own bachelorette party before our first ceremony.

"Cupcake?" Luke asked, eyeing my cheeks suspiciously. "Talking about penises doesn't usually make you blush this badly anymore, what the heck are you thinking about?"

"Um, nothing. Just, uh," I stammered, scooping another glob of icing out the can and adding it to our pile. My cheeks burned hot. "I was just picturing cakes with, uh, male genitalia on them."

"When have you seen one?" Gabriel asked in confusion before his eyes narrowed. "Trouble, I swear to God if you googled that shit-"

"No!" I interrupted, annoyed that he brought that back up again. It was _years_ ago, and I paid dearly for it. I googled "anal" one time to figure out what it was, and years later the boys still won't let me live it down. I know my accompanying scream of horror and the laptop being tossed out a window hadn't helped, but how was I supposed to know that Uncle was outside my window helping the boys do yard work?

He couldn't look me in the eye for a month after he saw what was on the screen. That and the guilt of hitting him over the head with a laptop was enough to make me never google anything sexual again.

"Then where've you seen one? Kayli didn't have any ceremonies with her boys, and Karen's bachelorette party wouldn't have dicks at it," Luke broke through my thoughts, sounding confused.

"Well, I had a bachelorette party, too," I managed to get out through my embarrassment, looking up from the cake to see their eyes widen.

"Holy shit! Kayli got you a dick cake?" Gabriel asked in disbelief.

"Um, well, she actually got me nine," I answered, patting my cheeks lightly. My brain was obviously elsewhere, because I was still holding the spatula and icing flew off, landing on my forehead and nose. A little glob dropped down and landed on my cheek.

Luke and Gabriel erupted with laughter, and I huffed a giggle.

"She got you _nine_?" Luke spluttered out through his laughter. "Holy cow, please tell me there's a picture of this."

"No!" I cried in alarm. I had one rule for that night: No pictures after the first shot of alcohol. I brought a hand up to wipe the icing off my face, but Gabriel put a hand up to stop me.

"Allow me, Trouble," Gabriel said when he got his laughter under control, shooing my hand away. He was on me in a flash, arms wrapped around me as he licked from my chin to my temple. Once he was was satisfied it was clean enough, his tongue moved to my nose with a quick lick before he sucked the last bit off my forehead.

"Mine," he whispered cheekily against my forehead as I gripped his shirt in both hands, unable to stop the giggles. After a quick kiss, he backed up with a satisfied grin.

"I know that girl is fearless, but I could've sworn we got our point across about nothing inappropriate going on at your party," Luke frowned thoughtfully, seeming to think back to a few years ago when this happened. "We wanted you to have fun without worrying about being uncomfortable. What was the list, Gabe?"

"Nothing dick related," Gabriel said quickly with a frown. "No strippers, no tequila, no blow job shots, nothing dangerous, no hopping on a plane to Vegas, no skinny dipping, and no breaking the law. And that was just the list of 'no's,' not the rules."

"Oh my god," I blushed, internally cursing Kayli for never telling me about the boys' stipulations.

"Damn, if the cakes happened, then what if she ignored our other rules, too?" Gabriel's frown deepened before his crystal eyes zoned in on me. "Did any of those other things happen, Trouble?"

I fidgeted under his intent gaze, not wanting to disappoint the boys but unable to lie.

"Well, we didn't go to Vegas?" I offered lamely, turning back towards the cake and gently spreading the icing out with my spatula. "Not for Kayli's lack of trying, though."

"Damn that woman!" Luke burst out, but it was accompanied by a laugh.

"It's pretty fitting, when you think about it," Gabriel let out with a chuckle, and my shoulders sagged slightly when I realized they weren't actually angry. "We probably had the tamest bachelor party in existence. It consisted of some beers, a Red Sox game, and laser tag, while little Sang over here was the posterchild for a Vodka commercial."

"Honestly, I resembled a fire hydrant the entire night," I shook my head with a giggle. "I would've much rather been playing laser tag with all of you."

"Sang, stop being so fucking sweet. You're making it harder for us to be mad at Kayli," Gabriel chided good-naturedly as Luke placed the next layer atop our cake. "At least we have an actual excuse to prank her now, man."

"Yeah, I've got a few things in mind already," Luke nodded excitedly, before his playful eyes turned to me and he leaned back against the counter. "But first, I'd like to hear more about this skinny dipping story."

Maybe I should've accepted the ice pack from Gabriel earlier. It would've been perfect to help quell my blush or shove down Luke's pants.

 **A/N: Short chapter, but it was a good stopping point. :)**

 **Thank you for reading!**


	8. Chapter Eight: What Goes Up

**A/N: I wrote the chapter that follows after Sang's delivery today (something you guys probably won't even see for another year and I'll most likely end up changing ten times,) and ohmygosh I just wish CL could write a hundred more books in the next month. It still probably wouldn't even cover Sang turning 18, but I'd die of happiness actually reading her take on some of the scenes I've been writing. I was in tears just imagining everything that could happen and what the boys might say. Sigh.**

 **Chapter Eight: What Goes Up...**

Luke ended up shaping the cake like a giant cupcake, and the three of us ate the entire thing within half an hour. He'd even sneakily stuck a little jelly bean in the middle to represent our baby while I was licking icing off Gabriel's face, and it was quite a shock when I bit into it later.

While the jelly bean itself tasted a little odd compared to a fluffy cake, I was more concerned about the fact that Luke had just made me eat my own make-believe fetus.

I was currently lying on the floor beside the kitchen table, too stuffed to finish my journey to one of the couches.

"Maybe eating the whole fucking thing wasn't our greatest idea," Gabriel mumbled wisely from his spot slumped in a kitchen chair, his head lying facedown on the table.

"Are you kidding me? It was our best idea in a long time!" Luke called happily from the kitchen, his enthusiasm making me groan helplessly into the hardwood floor. Or maybe it was the new food baby that was thirty times the size of my actual fetus. "But if you want, I can make some Koolaid to help wash it all down?"

"Koolaid and cake?" Gabriel replied in disgust. "Shit, Luke. That sounds awful."

"You'll love it, I promise! I'll make a Watermelon Rush batch and a Rock-a-Dile Red one. Then, oh my God, we can mix them together!" Luke insisted quickly, his voice slighter higher than usual. "Holy cow, why didn't I think of this earlier? We can have a Watermelon-Rock-a-Dile-Rush-Red. Or Red-Rush? Maybe Rock-a-Watermel-"

"Luke, please no," I pleaded from the floor. "Let me just slip into a food coma and sleep this off. Please."

"And miss out on my homemade Koolaid? No way, Cupcake! We can't allow that," Luke's voice was getting closer as I heard him bounce by my spot on the floor. There were a few clicking sounds before dance music started blaring from the stereo, and I squeezed my eyes shut tighter.

"Fuck," Gabriel groaned from his chair near me. "How did he eat an entire half himself and not pass out or fucking explode?"

"North warned us; we should've listened," I whispered regretfully as Luke danced his way back to the kitchen. His voice joined Madonna's as he sang about being touched for the very first time, and I gripped my aching stomach tighter.

"It hurts," I whimpered pathetically, rolling onto my side and curling up into a ball. It was difficult to understand how something I loved so much could hurt me this badly. "Make it stop, Gabriel."

"The music, your tummy ache, or the _fucking bouncing_?" Gabriel asked, his voice rising to a yell as he flung his last words towards Luke's prancing form in the kitchen.

" _You're so fine, and you're mine! I'll be yooours, 'til the end of tiiime!"_ Luke sang from the kitchen, the sound of a wooden spoon tapping against a pot accompanying his belting lyrics. " _Cause you made me feeeeel..._ "

"Shut the fuck up!" Gabriel groaned, banging his own head repeatedly against the kitchen table.

" _Sang, you maaaade me feeeel, so shiny and neeew!"_ Luke sang as I choked on a surprised laugh. His voice was getting louder as he danced around the kitchen, and I might've been starting to find his antics a little humorous. It was a nice distraction from the food baby trying to claw it's way out of my belly. " _Like a virgin! Do-do-do! Touched for the very first time!_ "

Gabriel's groans joined in as I giggled helplessly on the floor, still curled up in a tight ball as it helped relieve a bit of the pressure.

Then the music cut off, and Luke's voice trailed off as he stopped playing his makeshift drums.

"Would someone care to explain what I'm looking at right now?" Owen's voice asked, and I felt my shoulders automatically straighten from their hunched form, despite my fetal position.

"Umm, two dashingly handsome men and the love of your life?" Gabriel mumbled hopefully against the table's surface as he stopped banging his head against it.

"We're celebrating the baby!" Luke happily exclaimed, and I reluctantly tilted my head up in hopes that his beaming face might make my stomach feel a little bit better.

Luke's face was indeed grinning as he strode towards us from the kitchen, but I was a little distracted by his new appearance. Somewhere between eating the cake and rocking out to Madonna, Luke had lost his shirt and socks, and he'd used twisty ties from the bread bags to tie his hair into three ponytails.

It dawned on me that this manchild could be the father of my baby.

Maybe my hormones were already acting up, but that thought warmed my soul more effectively than any cup of hot cocoa.

"And what the fuck are you doing to celebrate?" North's booming voice joined in. "Did you shoot Sang and Gabe, then pop a few colorful pills?"

"I don't see any blood," Kota observed quietly, his voice much closer to me, and I winced. They must all be here. "Actually, Sang, look up?"

I did as he said, looking up at Kota's concerned face hovering above me.

"I don't think it's blood, but you've got something red on your face...," Kota trailed off in confusion, crouching beside me to get a closer look. I blushed slightly, realizing I must've been quite the monster when shoveling cake into my mouth.

"It's nothing," I mumbled, quickly using a hand to wipe the icing off my face. It was covering a good portion of my chin and the left side of my mouth. "Just...uh, icing."

"Icing?" Kota echoed, looking up towards Luke. "You guys finished decorating the cake?"

"Yep!" Luke chirped excitedly, his eyes lighting up even further. "And thank you to whoever finished baking them after the appointment with Dr. Phil. We got it all decorated and pretty, lots of icing and cake and love and rainbows-"

"And did you eat this cake, Lucian?" Owen cut in calmly as Kota's eyes flicked back down to me. They narrowed in suspicion, and I tried to smile innocently back. His hand came up slowly, and he wiped a dollop of icing off the tip of my nose. Oops.

"Duh! Oh man, we ate the shit out of that cake," Luke exclaimed while nodding his head rapidly up and down. I groaned, burrowing my head back against my knees. "We ate the icing, too. And the Sang got the jelly bean, lucky girl. I could've sworn I made my piece big enough to get it, but whatever. I mean, I had to get the side with the most icing, too. A man has his priorities, you know, and I have a whole bag of jelly beans somewhere-"

"Where's the rest of the cake, Luke?" North growled lowly, and I tried to make myself as small as possible as his voice crept closer.

"We ate the whole fucking thing," Gabriel groaned in pain. "And don't give me a lecture about it. I know it was a mistake, and I feel shitty enough about it already."

"That cake was three layers high and made with ten inch cake pans!" North barked, but his tone was laced with surprise.

"Shh, you're making it worse," Gabriel complained with a whine. I let out my own soft moan of pain at the reminder.

"Pookie?" Sean's concerned voice was beside me, and I felt his hand rest against my cheek. "Look up, sweetheart."

"I'm okay, Sean," I mumbled, but raised my head a little. "It's really just a tummy ache from the cake."

"I know, I just need to make sure my Pookie is okay," Sean cooed, placing his cool hand against my forehead, and I opened my eyes to see his sympathetic smile. "Would you like to move to the couch? This floor can't be very comfortable."

"I was trying to get there, but...," I started to explain before trailing off. I didn't need to waste the boys' time with excuses for not being able to walk ten feet to the couch.

"Allow me, _Aggele,_ " Silas said as I felt his warm hands slip under my knees and the arm I was lying against the floor on. He heaved me up in one swift movement before carrying me towards the sitting area. I kept my eyes closed, trying not to let the movements affect my upset stomach.

"What about me?" Gabriel moaned against the table. Silas gently deposited me on a lap, and I squinted my eyes open to peek up at Nathan's own blue eyes. He was smiling down at me, and I nuzzled my face into his neck.

"I'm not carrying you. Walk to the couch yourself," Silas answered simply before I felt the couch sink down as he sat down beside us.

"But you carried Sang!" Gabriel whined, and I could just picture his lip pouting against the wood. I almost wanted to get up and try carrying him myself, but I knew I wouldn't even make it two feet. "What happened to 'Family First'?"

"You replaced that code with 'Cake First'," North snorted as he collapsed into one of the other couches. Gabriel's answering groan pulled at my heartstrings, and I leaned back to look at Silas as Luke jumped onto the couch beside us.

"I can carry you!" Luke offered as he jumped twice on the couch cushions before landing Indian style on a cushion. "I can carry you with my mind, and you'll float over to the couch!"

"Silas?" I asked softly, pushing my own lip out slightly as Luke kept his narrowed eyes focused intently on Gabriel's boneless form.

"Any second now," Luke mumbled with determination.

" _Aggele_ ," Silas responded warningly, his own eyes narrowing back at me.

"You know, I don't only call you Superman because you're big and strong," I explained quietly, looking up at him pleadingly. "Or because you save me and protect me. It's also because you help anyone you can, and you have such an open heart. You're always _good_."

"Sang," Silas groaned quietly before sighing in resignation. He stood up from the couch walked exceedingly slowly back towards the dining area. I watched the other boys sit down as he left, and Kota took a seat to Nathan's right. I was facing him, so I sent him a small smile that he returned before I ducked back into Nathan's neck.

"I'm only doing this for Sang, so don't say a word," Silas grumbled as I heard a kitchen chair scrape softly against the wood. Gabriel groaned as Silas picked him up, and I stifled a giggle against Nathan's neck at the similarities between Gabriel's moans caused by pain and his...other ones.

"You're tickling my neck, Peanut," Nathan upper body squirmed against me for a moment, before he settled back against the couch. I softly kissed his neck in apology.

"There," Silas huffed as the spot on Nathan's left side sunk slightly. "If you can't move your butt for bed, then you're sleeping on this couch."

"Thanks, Silas," Gabriel mumbled gratefully.

"Are we gonna play a game?" Luke asked eagerly, and Nathan's chest rumbled against me with a chuckle. "Let's do Truth or Dare! Or Mafia. Or Twister! Oh my God, let's play Hungry Hungry Hippos. I'm the master of that game. Hey, does anyone want some Koolaid? I invented a new flavor with-"

"I have a very strong sedative upstairs, if we need it," Sean offered from his spot beside North.

"Lucian, _can it_ ," North barked fiercely, and I heard Luke audibly shut his mouth.

The room itself seemed to breathe for a moment, before Luke's lungs quickly ran out of air and he opened his mouth.

"Hey, did you guys know that Sang went skinny-dipping in a fountain during her bachelorette party?" Luke asked excitedly, beaming at the rest of the boys.

"Luke!" I cried in alarm, my eyes popping open as I looked up from Nathan's warm neck. "Shh!"

"I just wish I could've been with her, you know?" Luke ranted on, bouncing in his seat as he continued grinning. "Not just for the naked part-I mean, yeah, obviously for that. It's a given. Heck I'd probably try to do her right there in the fountain. Damn, yeah, that would've been amazing. Maybe we can do that this weekend. Sound good, Cupcake? Anyways, just imagine swimming in a fountain, your junk being all free and shit. Sure the water would be ice-cold and there'd probably be bird poop floating around, but you could also find an old nickel and-"

"Lucian, I purchased some truffles for the festivities tonight, but I seem to have left them in Sean's car," Owen cut in forcefully as I tried to make my body as small as possible. "Could you please-"

"Candy?" Luke's head popped up like a Prairie Dog, and his focused gaze snapped straight towards the front door. He seemed to fly off the couch before breaking into a run. "I'm on it!"

We all watched Luke bound towards the door, his barefeet slapping against the hardwood floors as he moved.

"You bought candy?" North and I asked simultaneously as the door slammed behind Luke, but in very different tones. I was surprised, while he was suspicious.

"No, but my ears needed a break from all of that nonsense," Owen explained with a sigh, and I watched him lean just a hair's width further back against the sofa.

"Wait. Why did you tell him my car, then?" Sean asked with a puzzled look. "Was that supposed to make it sound more believable by not being your own car? I'm sure he would've believed whatever you said."

"No, it wasn't. However, I did have my car detailed last week and I can only imagine what Luke will do when he doesn't immediately see the shopping bag inside," Owen explained calmly. "Some of the lock-picking gadgets he carts around are quite sharp."

"Owen!" Sean whined while shooting off the couch and running after Luke. Nathan's chest shook with chuckles beneath me, and my giggles joined him. "Howie the Honda is very fragile!"

"Sang baby," North grunted from the couch across from me, and I turned to see his eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Yes, North?" I asked lightly, wondering if he was going to blame me for Luke eating half of the cake. I would've tried to stop him, but I was too busy shoveling forkfuls down my own greedy throat.

"What's this shit Luke was saying about skinny-dipping?" North asked warily, and I realized that this was ten times worse than him accusing me of giving Luke too much cake.

"Umm," I hesitated, feeling everyone's eyes on me. Gabriel was snickering beside me, and I knew he wouldn't be any help. "He was on a sugar high?"

" _Baby._ What's this shit Luke was saying about skinny-dipping?" North repeated forcefully, and I cringed back into Nathan's embrace. I took a deep, calming breath. It had been years ago, surely they couldn't get _too_ mad.

"Well, wekindofwentswimmingnakedduringmybachelorretteparty," I rushed out in one breath, knowing their trained ears would be able to catch it.

"You _what?_ " North bellowed back, both hands fisting against his knees. He took his own deep breath before asking in a controlled voice, "And what's this I hear about a fucking fountain?"

I looked to Kota for help, but his eyes demanded an answer as well.

" _Fine._ Okay, the girls and I went skinny-dipping," I explained quietly with a sigh. "It was just for like ten minutes, anyways. Plus, it was so dark out nobody could really see anything."

"Tell them what happened next, Trouble," Gabriel snorted into his palm, trying to hide the laughter. I sent him my most evil glare before turning back to the expectant boys.

"What happened _next?_ " Silas asked in surprise. " _Aggele_ , surely all that happened next was you swimming a bit, putting _all_ of your clothes back on, and safely returning home. Correct?"

A finger strayed towards my lip, but Nathan caught it and planted a soft kiss on the pad of it.

"We're not mad at you, Peanut," Nathan assured me quietly, running a hand up and down my back before locking his arms loosely around my waist. I cuddled closer, leaning sideways against his chest. "We just want to know what happened."

"Umm, a cop may or may not have shown up," I mumbled, picking at a loose thread on Nathan's shirt. His arms tightened their grip around me, and I felt his chest rumble with a growl. So much for not being mad.

"A fucking cop?" North burst out, and I looked over at his knees because I was too afraid to see the expression on his face. "Sang Baby, please tell me the cop was _female_ and simply offered to give you a ride home because she couldn't believe your friends had talked you into something so idiotic."

"Well, he did offer me a ride?" I said lightly, hoping to lighten the mood.

"He _what_?" North roared, jumping off the couch as red blotches formed on his face. "I swear to _fucking_ God-"

"That's sexual harassment!" Victor exclaimed in surprise, and I turned to him in confusion. "Sang, why didn't you tell us about this? It's illegal for cops to use their badge and authority to pressure-"

"Vic, that's not was she was saying!" Gabriel interrupted quickly, his own eyes opened in worry as he watched Silas gripping North's shoulders and talking to him in a low voice. I looked to Owen, whose own face was set in stone. Hard, deadly stone.

"I don't understand," I gulped, prying at Nathan's fingers that had my waist in a death grip. "He just-oh, God! Oh, no. Nonono!"

My face flushed as I realized what I'd stupidly implied.

"Guys, _stop_!" I called as loudly as I could, slumping slightly in relief when Nathan's grip loosened. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like _that._ It wasn't anything sexual."

The effect was immediate, North sat back down as his breathing came back under control and Kota stopped mumbling numbers. Gabriel sighed beside me, and Nathan gently patted my thigh. Crisis averted.

"We may need to get a Sang-to-English translator one of these days," Victor sighed, his own shoulders slumping in relief as he leaned back against the couch. "Either that, or we'll all be at risk for health complications due to high blood pressure."

"Sorry," I smiled apologetically, fidgeting slightly in Nathan's lap. I still wasn't looking forward to the rest of the story.

"So the officer drove you girls home, then?" Kota pressed, causing me to wince again.

"Not _quite,_ " I answered hesitantly. My eyes flickered to North and his forced calm before I looked back at Kota. "He sort of drove us to...um, to the police station."

There was another beat of silence as they all seemed to absorb this, and even Gabriel refrained from giggling beside me. He'd choked on his laughter the first time I'd told this story to him and Luke while we were inhaling cake, but he seemed to realize this was a completely different audience.

"And why did the officer take you to the police station?" North asked in a deceptively calm voice, and I saw his knuckles turning white where they gripped the couch.

"Well, turns out swimming in fountains isn't exactly allowed. Naked or not," I answered hesitantly, fingers twisting together in my lap. North nodded, seeming to take this in before I added hopefully, "but we weren't actually arrested! So it didn't cause any problems with my ghost status."

"And why were we not informed of this at the time?" Owen spoke up from across the room, his steel voice not betraying any emotions he was feeling right now. "Were you not allowed a phone call? How did you get home? Why have years passed before you informed us of this even occurring?"

"Well, I didn't want to interrupt your stag night," I answered honestly, meeting Owen's intense stare with my own. They seemed to be asking me a thousand more questions. "So I called Uncle and he came to pick us all up."

"Mr. Taylor was in on this?" Owen's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "He never said a word."

"Kayli made him swear a Maid-of-Honor blood oath," I explained, my lips twitching into a smile as I recalled Uncle repeating Kayli's ridiculous words as he swore the oath. "She had wanted to call Blake because he's friends with a few people on the force, but her guys were at your party so we couldn't."

"I can't believe Uncle kept this from us," North frowned, sliding his hands roughly back and forth against his thighs. "You could've been hurt or crying."

"But I wasn't," I smiled again. "Uncle took us out for ice cream and then straight home. I didn't tell you guys, because my ceremony with Kota was a few days away and I didn't want to put a damper on things. Then all the other ceremonies happened, and it just became a distant memory."

"Well, I'm glad we're aware of it now," Owen answered simply, pinching the bridge of his nose as he stood up.

"Where are you going?" I asked in confusion as he started walking towards the stairs.

"I'm calling Mr. Taylor to get a report on what happened," Owen answered before disappearing into the foyer. I sighed, figuring it wasn't worth it to text Uncle a warning.

"It was just skinny-dipping, North," I offered hopefully, breaking the silence that followed Owen's exit as I tried to make them see reason. "I've done it before, and so have you! It's really not something to get this worked up about."

"I know that, but I thought skinny-dipping was on our list of 'no's,'" North hissed dangerously, looking around the group. "Somebody fucking tell me it was on our list of 'no's.'"

"It was," Gabriel offered, practically cackling as he watched each of the boys' expressions turn sour again. He seemed to be taking so much joy in them knowing about my festivities; I just prayed he didn't bring up the nine erotic cakes.

"So Kayli knew better," Victor frowned slightly, looking thoughtful. "Does that mean she broke the other rules we set, too?"

I rolled my eyes. What gave the boys the idea they could control my party? Kayli probably did everything on their list just to spite them.

"Good question, Vic. Hey Sang, why don't you tell them about the penis-shaped lollipop Kayli's friend _Raúl_ got you for the night?" Gabriel smirked, scooting closer into the safe haven of his couch corner as my eyes widened.

You could've heard a pin drop.

"I'm gonna kill that bitch," North fumed, rocketing off the couch and stalking towards the front door before I could blink. We listened to the sounds of his stomping feet fade before the door slammed shut, and Silas sighed before standing up.

"I guess I'll see you guys later," Silas offered, walking over and placing a kiss on my forehead before following North.

"Are you tired, Sang?" Kota asked from my side, thankfully cutting off any further conversation about my bachelorette party.

"Yes," I answered gratefully, before hesitantly looking towards the foyer. "But what about North? Maybe I should call Kayli..."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Kota answered with a small smile as he stood up from the sofa. I smiled when I realized he was hinting that I should be more worried about what Kayli could do to North and not the other way around. Kota started walking over, and I took this as my hint before turning to Nathan.

"Goodnight, Honey," I said softly, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"Sweet dreams, Peanut," his own smile shined back at me, before we both leaned in for a sweet kiss. His lips were full and soft against mine, and I backed up with a sigh.

I turned towards Victor next, reaching for him as he grasped my waist and I slid off Nathan. My food baby had settled slightly, and it didn't hurt too badly.

"Goodnight, Mr. Victor," I smiled, leaning in and placing a chaste kiss on his lips as his fingers whispered over my ribs.

"Sleep tight, Princess," Victor smiled against my lips. Nathan grabbed my waist again, plucking me off Victor and depositing me in Gabriel's lap.

"Oof," Gabriel huffed as I landed.

"Aww, I'm sorry, little food baby," I crooned, leaning down and gently rubbing his stomach.

"You joke about that now, but don't be surprised when I actually give birth to a cake," Gabriel retorted, wrapping his arms around me and tugging me closer. "Now give me a kiss, Trouble."

"Goodnight, Meanie," I whispered, inching closer before moving at the last second and placing a kiss on the corner of his mouth.

"Nu uh," Gabriel mumbled before his hands trailed up my sides until he took a firm hold of my cheeks. "Like this."

He pulled me forward, smacking a huge, sloppy, wet kiss on my lips with audible sound effects before pulling back with a grin.

"Night, Trouble," Gabriel winked, bouncing his knees slightly while I grinned. The front door opened as Kota helped me up, and I looked over to see a disheveled Sean come stumbling in, his breathing slightly uneven as he rubbed a hand down his face.

"Where's Luke?" Kota asked from beside me, his arm wrapped around my waist.

"Passed out in the backseat of Howie for now," Sean breathed out with no small amount of relief, walking towards us. "I strapped him down using all three seatbelts, and he couldn't figure out how to undo them. It'll hold for now, but I'm getting the sedative in case he finds a second wind."

I winced in sympathy, for both Sean and Luke. And Howie.

"Are you heading to bed, Pookie?" Sean asked, sounding a little concerned as he stopped in front of me.

"Yes, I'm a little sleepy. Goodnight, Sean," I grinned, leaning forward for my kiss. Sean's hands on my shoulders stopped me, and I tilted my head at him questioningly.

"If anything feels off or you wake up uncomfortable, you come get me, okay?" Sean requested, and I fought back an eyeroll.

"I'm only two months pregnant, silly," I shook my head, trying to lean in again for a kiss but his grip held me back.

"You could still get back pains, nausea, or all types of different things," Sean explained seriously before pulling out his phone. "I'll have my phone on high volume, so if you have any questions you can reach me right away."

"Sean," I shook my head in resignation, placing a hand on the one he had holding my shoulder. "I'll be fine, okay? But if anything unexpected happens, like cramps or the zombie apocalypse, I will definitely call you. I promise. Even though Kota will be _right beside me._ "

"Okay," Sean nodded back with a frown. I tried to lean in again and he finally relented, meeting my lips in a firm kiss. His hand snuck around to the back of my neck and his lips nudged mine open as his tongue slipped in. Part of me wanted to laugh at him turning a goodnight peck into something so passionate, but the bigger part of me was enjoying the way his tongue caressed mine too much to care.

If the baby in my belly or the fact that I had nine husbands didn't make it obvious enough, the invisible line determining what type of kissing was appropriate in front of other people had long since passed.

"Oh," Sean pulled back from our kiss, and I unconsciously leaned forward, wanting to feel his lips against mine again. "And you have a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning. 10 o'clock!"

"Another one?" I asked in surprise. "We just went today!"

"Yes, but this is with Dr. White," Sean explained, as if that answered everything. "He'll be your doctor for the pregnancy and delivery."

"And we have to meet so soon?" I questioned, thinking of the two doctor visits I had today. "Why not next week or something?"

"Get used to it, Sang," Sean smiled slightly, leaning closer and placing a lingering kiss on my forehead. "You're pregnant now, and the visits are going to be endless. You're lucky enough to be married to a doctor, so there will actually be twice as many as usual. If not more."

"Fine," I sighed, leaning against Kota's side and stifling a yawn. "Good night, everyone. I love you."

The boys' own words of love echoed back at me as Kota walked us through to the attached townhouse. He lead me all the way up the stairs as my food coma began to take over. It wasn't until we reached his bathroom and Kota nudged my side softly that I realized my eyes had been closed.

"Hmm?" I hummed, wondering what he wanted. Kota nodded towards the sink counter before helping me hop up on it. The sound of a faucet turning on filled my ears, and Kota was back in front of me a moment later.

"Open, Sang," he ordered softly, and my mouth followed directions without a thought. Something wet and bristly entered my mouth, and it took me longer than it should've to realize Kota was brushing my teeth. It had become quite a tradition now, and it was no secret that Kota's was the only bathroom with just one toothbrush in it.

My own bathroom had ten toothbrushes, but all of them were rarely used.

"I wuv yew," I garbled around the toothbrush, blushing a bit when some foamy paste escaped and dripped down my chin.

"I love you, too, Sang," Kota replied with a chuckle, using his finger to wipe up the toothpaste. "You're adorable."

"No, yew uh-do-uh-bowl," I responded sleepily, enjoying the way Kota gently moved the toothbrush back and forth against my teeth.

"Oh, I'm 'do-able,' huh?" Kota asked with a laugh as the brush disappeared from my mouth and I felt a cup being placed against my lips. I took a sip, swooshing it around in my mouth before leaning over and spitting into the sink. Kota turned the faucet on, and I rinsed my mouth again.

"Well, I have done you," I mumbled back as I blindly reached around for a towel.

"You make a valid point, Sang," Kota chuckled as he wiped the soft towel against my mouth. Then he stepped forward between my legs, placing my arms loosely around his neck and pulling my front against his. "But I think it's time for bed. Wrap your legs around me, sweetie."

"Are you trying to seduce me?" I asked in confusion, my words slurring slightly with exhaustion. You'd think after a three hour nap I'd be wide awake.

"Ten, sweetie, I'm not trying to do anything but put you in bed so you can sleep," Kota's chest rumbled against my own from his laughter as I wrapped my limbs around him and hung on tight. "Good girl."

I laid my cheek against Kota's shoulder as he walked us back into his bedroom. The lights were out, with a sliver of light peeking in from his bathroom door. Kota stepped closer to the bed, placing me down on the welcoming covers as my arms automatically loosened.

"Good night, Kota," I whispered as he pulled back and I heard him walking around the bed.

"Good night, Sang," he whispered back, climbing in beside me.

"Where's my good night kiss?" I muttered with a frown, my eyes still closed as I pictured him falling asleep beside me.

Kota chuckled, his arms reaching out and pulling me snug against his side. I leaned up, not having to reach far before his own lips brushed against mine in a feather-light kiss. Then his nose rubbed sweetly against mine once, twice before his head settled back against the pillow. I laid my own head on his shoulder, squishing as close to his side as possible while he held me.

Only two thoughts were floating around my mind before I succumbed to sleep. One being that Kota felt like home as I cuddled against his side, and also that there was no way North could ever find out about the strip club Kayli pushed me into before we went skinny-dipping.

 **A/N: So...we're on chapter eight and it's still the same day as when this book started, haha. I can totally understand how CL hasn't even hit Thanksgiving yet...**

 **At this rate, Sang should be giving birth around Chapter 210. So maybe I should rename this one to "Ten," and the sequel "Eleven." Pffft.**

 **As always, please let me know what you think!**


	9. Chapter Nine: Poking the Angry Bear

**Chapter Nine**

There was a watercolor painting of a sailboat hanging on the wall across from me. It was done in pastels, and I had to admit it was quite soothing. Not nearly as soothing as Victor's hand grasping mine, though.

I tore my gaze from the happy boat and turned to the handsome boy beside me, whose eyes were already steadily trained on me. The attention had me shifting slightly in the plastic chair, not sure if I was anxious to get out of the hospital's hallway or to get this appointment over with.

"There's no need to be worried, Princess," Victor assured me with his gaze set to a soft simmer, his smile warm. "Dr. White has been in the field for over twenty years now, and he's been head of the Academy's delivery wing for nine of those years. He's delivered more babies than you've probably seen in your life, and his rate of complications is below 4%."

Victor's words were both comforting and alarming at the same time.

"How do you know all of this?" I asked in confusion, surprised Victor already knew so much about our new doctor despite just finding out about the change last night. I mentally hit myself for not being prepared, until it dawned on me what Victor had done and my voice dropped to a heated whisper. " _You ran a background check on our baby's doctor, didn't you? An_ Academy _doctor?_ "

"He probably expected it," Victor shrugged, not looking the least bit embarrassed. I'd gotten used to my own lack of privacy amongst the boys, but it still amazed me how easily they invaded people's lives. "Honestly, I'd be worried if he _didn't_ expect it."

"Victor," I chided softly, trying to frown but it was too difficult when his expression was that earnest.

"Relax, I only did a quick search to get some general facts that are open to the public anyways," Victor defended quietly before glancing down at the phone in his other hand. "But I'm still waiting to hear back from Corey for the more detailed report."

"Oh my gosh," I groaned, tilting my head back against the stark white wall behind us.

"Careful, Pookie," Sean warned lowly from my other side. "If you start looking distressed, North might haul you out of here over his shoulder."

My eyes flickered to stoic man sitting motionless across from me, directly underneath the sailboat painting. The sailboat's vibe and my North's could not be more opposite as I took in his tense posture. North's eyes were already trained on me like a hawk, his lips pursed.

When Sean suggested that we limit the number of boys who came to each appointment because it could be overwhelming and cramped in the examination room, North had insisted on being one of the three at this visit.

I had a feeling he was going to _insist_ on being at all of them.

"You look upset," North said with a frown. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm not upset," I answered patiently. "I feel great, North. I don't know why, but somehow it still surprises me that a background check was done on Dr. White."

"Oh, you've heard back from Corey?" North turned expectantly towards Victor, his expression picking up a bit.

Of course he knew about that.

"Not yet," Victor answered with a shake of his head, his thumb sliding back and forth against my palm.

"You really should respect-" the door beside Victor flew open, cutting off my attempt to admonish the boys on their illegal tactics.

"Ah, well if it isn't the Blackbourne team!" A tall, middle-aged man stepped out of the office with a welcoming smile. "I was wondering when I'd get to help welcome a new member to your family."

My eyes focused on his smile, with teeth so white I thought he looked more like a dentist. His dark hair was peppered with salt, and I relaxed slightly after seeing the kindness in his soft, green eyes.

"Hi, Dr. White. I'm Sang," I introduced myself, stepping forward and slipping my hand into his offered one. "I'm the pregnant one."

My heart beat a little faster as the words left my mouth.

It felt amazing to say.

"Oho! Thank you for clearing that up for me, you silly girl," Dr. White grinned, beaming at the boys around me as I dropped my hand. "Are you sure, though? This one over here looks like he's experiencing the constipation that can be caused by prenatal vitamins."

It was a struggle to keep my eyes focused forward, knowing I'd lose it if I turned around and saw North's grumpy face right now. To say he wasn't happy about the new doctor was an understatement, and I'd spent most of the morning so far making him promise to behave.

He finally agreed, but it was at the cost of many kisses. I wasn't complaining.

"Kenneth, you don't know how close you are," Sean snorted, stepping up beside me and offering a hand to Dr. White. "Great to see you again, and I really appreciate you meeting with us so soon."

"After receiving a personal call from Dr. Sean Green himself?" Dr. White responded, his lips twitching up at the sides as they shook hands. "How could I refuse? I didn't want to risk Owen calling if I'd said no."

"It took the threat of Owen's wrath? I thought I was intimidating enough," Sean pouted slightly, moving his hand down to lace our fingers together. "Guess I need to work on that."

"I'm just glad to finally meet your bird," Dr. White said, sending me another smile. "I know I've seen you around, but we haven't officially met."

"Yes, I mostly help out in the B-wing when I'm here," I explained, smiling as I glanced around the hallway. "Sean and I come look at the babies sometimes, but I haven't been around much else in this wing."

"Well, let me show you to one of our examination rooms then," Dr. White offered, gesturing down the hall. "Follow me, if you will."

Sean placed a hand on my lower back, and we fell into step behind the doctor. We passed a few more watercolors before he stopped at a stark white door.

"There's less of you than I expected," Dr. White prompted curiously, pulling the door and holding it open for us. I slipped through with the boys trailing behind me.

"We didn't want to overwhelm you or Sang," Sean explained, offering me a hand as I hopped up onto the examination table. He didn't let go once I was situated, so I happily held our entwined hands in my lap. "We'll be taking turns at appointments."

"Can't argue with that," Dr. White replied, turning towards the other boys. "North and Victor, why don't you two take a seat?"

"We're good," North grunted in response, crossing both arms against his broad chest as he stood behind Dr. White. Victor remained standing next to him, but his arms stayed non-threatening and at his sides.

Dr. White just smiled patiently at them before sitting on his rolly-stool and turning back to me and Sean.

"Now, Sang, I know we just met," Dr. White started to say, leaning his elbows against the examination table as he looked up at me, "and it can be a little scary having a stranger poke and prod you, as well as talk so openly about your body and what's going to happen. But I take it you're familiar with the Toma team?"

I nodded warily, wondering where he was going with this. And it was true, this was a little scary.

"They're our friends," I answered, shifting a little on the crinkly paper.

"Well, I hope you can take comfort in knowing that I delivered two of Kayli's babies," Dr. White smiled, patting the tabletop before rolling his chair over to the desk. "I would've delivered little Micah as well, if she hadn't given birth out in the field."

I cringed, recalling Kayli's story of how her water broke a month early. She'd been infiltrating camel smugglers on a cantaloupe farm in Oklahoma, and the nearest hospital was hours away.

Corey was the only one with her, and he suffered nightmares about the delivery for months afterwards.

My heart skidded to a stop as my mind wandered to the possibilities.

"Okay, Kenneth, let's not put thoughts in the poor girl's mind," Sean's strained voice carried to my ears, fingers prying at my death grip on his hand.

I shook my head, breaking away from a daydream of Corey delivering my baby cantaloupe while we rode on the back of a camel. My heart raced at the vision.

"Sorry, Sean!" I gasped in alarm, letting go of his hand in a flash and placing both of mine in my lap.

"You're fine, Sweetheart. Just breathe," Sean murmured, leaning against my side and placing a kiss against my hair. I flinched microscopically, my nerves still on end.

"I don't want to have a cantaloupe baby," I whispered worriedly, my eyes focused on Dr. White's badge hanging on his doctor coat.

"What was that, Sang?" Sean prompted, leaning closer to hear.

"Nothing," I mumbled distractedly. The door clicking as it opened saved myself from further embarrassment, and we turned to see a young, blonde man walk into the room. He appeared to be around my age, and when our eyes met his emerald ones reminded me a bit of Kota.

He flashed a handsome grin, and I managed a small smile back as I banished any thoughts of cantaloupes from my mind.

"Ah, there he is!" Dr. White smiled, beckoning his guest in further. I didn't realize we were expecting someone else, and I shifted uncomfortably on the table. Paper crinkled loudly beneath me. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet my son, Jeremy. He's on his second year as a resident, and he'll be assisting with Sang's case-"

North stepped forward before I could blink, partially blocking me as he approached the younger doctor.

"Get out," North growled, his tone and posture leaving no room for argument.

Sean sighed beside me.

"Uh, North..." Dr. White trailed off unsurely, sharing a puzzled glance with his son. "This is-"

"If you know what's good for you, you'll get out," North snapped, taking a purposeful step forward as I winced. "Right now."

"Woah, man," Jeremy held up both hands in a placating gesture, but I wanted to tell him it was no use. Surrendering wouldn't stop an overprotective bear. "I'm just-"

North's snarl cut him off, and I turned away from the confrontation to see Dr. White's eyes on me.

"I am so sorry," I muttered in a low voice to him, but he just shook his head at me with a smile before looking at North with interest.

"I guess I understand why we're never met before now," he told me with chuckle.

"He's usually better than this," I rushed to explain, feeling defensive of my North. "The baby's thrown them all off a bit."

Sean snorted beside me.

"Wasn't it just last week that he had our waitress replaced because you got a papercut when she handed you the menu?" Sean asked with amusement, and I decided it was best not to push the subject.

I turned back to the boys, but Jeremy was nowhere to be found and Victor had a hand on North's arm as he spoke quietly to him.

"Well, as I was saying," Dr. White called our attention with his kind smile. "That was my son Jeremy, and apparently he will _not_ be helping with Sang's pregnancy and delivery."

"Good to know," North responded flatly, standing beside the door like a bodyguard. Dr. White seemed to stifle a laugh before turning to face me.

"Now Sang, Dr. Roberts informed me that you had an ultrasound yesterday," he explained, and I nodded. "So this is more of a meet and greet for us; I won't be examining you today."

His words relaxed more of the tension in my shoulders that I hadn't even realized was there, and I nodded again.

"I did put together some informative pamphlets and a prescription for prenatal vitamins," Dr. White continued, picking a stack of papers off his desk and handing them to me. I accepted them, taking the prescription paper off the top and giving it to Sean. "My contact information is also there. If you come across any questions or concerns between appointments, you just call or page me. Anything you're worried about, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant."

"Thank you, Dr. White," I responded softly, looking down at the pamphlets to avoid his kind eyes. He was being so generous.

"We really appreciate it," Sean added gratefully, folding the prescription note and slipping it into his pocket. "I feel like this is going to be a good fit."

"Well, I sure hope so. If not, I remember mentoring some of your team members on interrogation techniques. I'd hate to see them used on me," Dr. White joked, laughing goodnaturedly.

"So would we," North spoke gruffly, not joking in the slightest.

Oh, North.

The next fifteen minutes of my appointment flew by with Dr. White going over what to expect during my first trimester and me getting to ask as many questions as I could think of. Before long, Dr. White had bid us goodbye and we were heading out to the parking lot.

I had stayed quiet during our departure, but once we cleared the hospital's front doors, I turned towards the scowling man beside me.

"North, we're going to discuss your presence at these appointments if you can't learn to behave!" I whispered warningly, squeezing the hand that was holding mine in an attempt to get my point across.

"I think he has a foot fetish," was North's only response, accompanied by a frown. "Did you see the intensity in his eyes when you took off your shoes?"

"He was checking my ankles for swelling!" I explained in disbelief, my jaw dropping slightly at his audacity. "Just like I _asked_ him to!"

North grumbled, causing Victor to sigh from my other side.

"North, you don't look like some rebellious teenager with a devil-may-care attitude anymore," Victor lectured sternly, and my eyes widened slightly as our pace picked up across the pavement. "You're a grown man, and now it just makes you come across as a, well, as..."

"As an asshole," Sean quipped helpfully from behind us.

"Just get in the fucking jeep," North scowled as we reached it. He swung the backdoor open in a harsh movement, but it was a stark contrast to the gentle way he tugged my hand forward. I slipped into the back, giving his hand a quick squeeze before he let go and shut the door.

"Come here, Sang," Victor patted the middle seat as he hopped in the other side, closing the door behind him. I scooted over, buckling the seatbelt and resting my head on his welcoming shoulder.

"Doctor son and alleged foot fiasco aside, I'm very impressed with Kenneth and think this'll work out splendidly," Sean said positively from the front seat, sending us a beaming grin over his shoulder.

"He seems very knowledgeable, and as long as Corey's check comes back clean then I'm onboard," Victor agreed, taking my hand in his and lacing our fingers together.

"I liked him a lot," I offered honestly, looking out the window at other patients leaving the hospital. "He made me feel comfortable, and I didn't feel bad for asking questions that might've sounded stupid. It took me years before I was this comfortable with Dr. Swan."

"I guess he could've been worse," North spoke grudgingly from the driver's seat after a beat. I turned to the side, hiding my smile against Victor's shoulder.

Sean's pager went off, the beeping making me jump slightly in surprise as he pulled it out of his coat pocket.

"Well, talk about good timing," Sean raised his eyebrows, tucking the pager back into his pocket. "Go ahead and drop me off at the front entrance, North."

"Is it an emergency?" I asked with concern.

"No, it's the consult code," Sean smiled, turning slightly in his seat. "Someone probably heard I was in the hospital this morning and wanted to see if I could pop into a room."

"Oh, okay," I relaxed slightly, leaning back against Victor's side. North pulled up to the front, and Sean hopped out with a wave before we continued out of the parking lot.

A few minutes into the drive, North had thawed even further and his gaze would periodically meet mine in the rearview mirror.

I even got a reluctant smile out of him when I stuck my tongue out.

"Where are we going?" Victor asked in confusion, looking at North with a frown. "You just passed our neighborhood."

"If you're trying to make me feel like more of a chauffeur than I already do with both of you in the back, then it's working," North rolled his eyes. "I thought you two might want to help me with something."

"With what?" I asked curiously, leaning forward as far as I could with the seatbelt on.

"Well," North hesitated, his knuckles paling slightly as he gripped the steering wheel. "You know I left for that mission in Georgia a few days ago."

"Yes, the one on the peach plantation," I confirmed, nodding. We usually debrief during the standing family meeting on Sunday nights, so I hadn't heard much about it yet.

"Yeah. Uh, what you guys don't know is that Luke got into my luggage before I got on the plane," North explained slowly, seeming to force the words out of his mouth.

"Uh oh," Victor and I said in unison, and I tried not to wince.

"Yeah," North huffed a breath, taking a sharp right turn at the light. "Anyways, he switched out my clothes, and the nearest civilization to the plantation was about six miles away."

Oh no.

"What'd he switch out your clothes with?" Victor asked warily, leaning forward with me.

I couldn't help it, a finger strayed up to my bottom lip with dread. Luke was still alive, so it couldn't have been that bad. Right?

"You can tell us, North," I prompted gently when his lips remained tightly shut, knuckles becoming dangerously white as his grip tightened. "We love you."

North's eyes softened slightly as our gazes met in the mirror again, and Victor chuckled lightly beside me.

"He packed me some of those...some of those short overall things," North admitted, his face twisting in annoyance. "And no fucking underwear."

I tried not to laugh, I really did.

I just didn't try very hard.

The giggles erupted, overtaking my body like an alien invasion as I started shaking uncontrollably in the backseat. Victor was in the same boat, almost choking on his laughter as we leaned against each other. It felt like my face was going to split in half from the smile stretching across it.

North drove silently, letting us laugh to our hearts' content without any protest. His only reaction was a light shade of red tinting his cheeks, which fueled my laughter.

"Oh, North," I managed to choke out through my giggles, trying to sound sympathetic. I really did feel bad for him, but it was so difficult to stop the mental images.

"That sucks," Victor added helpfully during a pause in his chuckles, but they overtook him against a beat later.

"Yeah, so I need your help," North bit out through clenched teeth, pulling into a shopping center's parking lot.

"With what?" I questioned eagerly, crossing my fingers in hopes that this was leading where I thought it was.

"I need to get him back," North spoke gravely, a dark glint in his eyes as they held mine in the mirror.

North wanted to prank Luke?

"I'm in."


	10. Chapter Ten: Revenge is a Dish

**A/N: This is a great example of what not going to bed at a decent hour can do to your writing.**

 **Brace yourselves.**

Chapter Ten: Revenge is a Dish Best Served Healthy

The plan wasn't perfect.

I wasn't prank-master Luke, Victor wasn't mischievous Gabriel, and whenever North executed a prank his main goal was usually violence.

We weren't exactly "pranksters" in the traditional sense of the word.

"Einstein is on the move. I repeat, Einstein is on the move," Victor's voice crackled through my earpiece, and I shuffled further back into the darkness of my cupboard hide-out. "Over."

But we were Academy.

"Mind being a little more specific, Vic?" North's voice joined the fray as I curled my knees into my chest. The cupboard wasn't exactly roomy, and I'd been here for almost an hour already. "On the move to where?"

"Einstein has left the building," Victor elaborated, and I pictured him looking out the dusty attic window two floors above my head. "Einstein is getting in his Prius and exiting the driveway. Over."

"Copy," North boomed back.

"Where's Kota-I mean Einstein-going?" I asked curiously, looking around my dark hideout. I wasn't sure what he had planned for today.

"I think he said something about grocery shopping earlier?" Victor guessed.

"Oh shoot. Can someone tell him to get eggs, please?" I asked, recalling how Gabriel and I had used the last of ours doing egg-and-spoon races around the backyard. I wanted to make Silas a healthy breakfast before his mission tomorrow morning.

"Princess, it'll blow our cover if we call him about that now," Victor sighed into my ear.

"Fine," I conceded with a frown, a hand unceasingly coming down to rub my tummy as I thought about a what else I could make for breakfast. Pancakes sounded good.

My hand froze, another thought flittering into my mind as I felt my lips twitch.

"Guys," I started again, clearing my throat when it felt a little choked. "You know, this is kind of the baby's first prank."

The light sounds of breathing and a quiet crackling met my ears until I heard North huff out a laugh.

"And it's on Luke," North stated proudly after a moment, and I pictured his handsome grin. "That's fucking perfect."

"I'm sure he'll be proud," Victor added with a laugh.

"So where did Gabe run off to?" North asked as I squinted around the stuffy cupboard. The sink's piping was beside me, and there was a mix of soap bottles across from my spot.

" _Picasso_ is still in his room," Victor answered pointedly.

"Oh, right," North grunted, falling silent for a moment. "Should we be expecting anyone else home this afternoon?"

"Mr. Grey is in his bedroom right now-"

"Don't call him that!" I squeaked out in protest. "We did _not_ agree on that nickname!"

"Oh come on, Sang. It's fitting. We know you two have that kinky shit going on," North pressed teasingly, and I felt my cheeks flame.

"It's not kinky!" I exclaimed with a groan. "I do the same things with you guys…."

"You don't call me Mr. Taylor," North pointed out casually.

"And correct me if I'm wrong, Princess, but I don't recall ever tying you to the desk in Owen's office," Victor added, a subtle smirk in a his voice.

I closed my eyes with an embarrassed groan, but North wasn't finished.

"And don't even get me started on the spanking-"

"Okay, that's enough!" I interrupted almost shrilly. "We agreed on calling him 'Chief.'"

"Actually, it was Commander & Chief, even though Kota is technically our leader," Victor reasoned thoughtfully. "Mr. Grey was a good way of separating the two."

"Sang, didn't you suggest calling him 'Master' earlier?" North's smirk could be heard through the line, and I closed my eyes, praying for strength.

"I did no such thing, and you know it," I hissed loud enough that it could easily be heard through the microphone.

"Oh right, I must've overheard you say that some other time," North continued provokingly.

"I have _never_ called him that!" I insisted, trying to keep my jaw from dropping to the floor. I mentally cursed Gabriel for making us watch _50 Shades_ as a family. As if the boys needed more ammo to taunt me with.

"Stop teasing her, North," Victor chuckled.

"Fine. And Ginger is still at the Diner," North continued, thankfully changing the subject. "Afternoon shift."

"Should we really be calling him Ginger? Isn't that a little offensive?" Victor questioned curiously.

"We could switch it to 'Gingerbread,'" I suggested in a whisper, trying to stretch my neck from it's cramped position. This cupboard was smaller than I remembered.

"That doesn't even make sense," North grunted. "His hair isn't fucking gingerbread."

"Let's change it back to Jackie Chan," Victor proposed as I shifted slightly against the cupboard's wall. My left leg was starting to fall asleep.

"I liked fire-crotch," North said back.

"We are not calling him _fire-crotch!_ " I blanched.

"I can practically feel the heat from your blush all the way up here, Sang," Victor chuckled.

"What about Big Red?" I proposed, ignoring him as I subtly fanned my face. Even if there were no cameras in my hideout, I felt like they could still see me.

Nathan was big and muscular, plus he had red hair. Take the gum brand into consideration, and I thought the nickname was pretty clever.

"Won't work," North dismissed easily. "Doesn't fit."

"Why not?" I frowned, the earpiece cackling quietly as I readjusted it. Redheads were called 'Red' all the time.

"How big is Nate's dick, Vic?" North asked casually.

" _What?_ That's not what I-"

"Why are you asking me? But more importantly, can you two please stop talking about Karate Kid's crotch?" Victor interjected, his baritone voice laced with amusement. "We have more significant things to focus on."

"We weren't talking about that. But for the record, he is big!" I argued, trying to defend Nathan's honor despite the hot flash currently taking over my body.

North's snort of laughter cackled through the earpiece as I shot a blind glare at the wall in front of me.

"Is Luke here yet?" I asked with a huff.

"Who?" Victor asked, but I heard the smile in his voice and rolled my eyes.

"Is _Cindy Lou_ here yet?" I grumbled reluctantly.

"No sign of him yet, but Uncle said he left the Diner around ten minutes ago," Victor answered, the sound of his fingers flying across a keyboard being heard in the background.

"Why didn't I get to pick any of the nicknames?" I asked with a pout.

"You did, Princess," Victor answered, coughing as he tried to cover up a laugh. "You picked Silas's."

"No, I didn't. North did," I denied, my frown deepening.

"When we were picking out code names on the drive home, you said he gave really good hugs," North pointed out.

"Yeah, but I didn't say to call him 'Hugsy'!"

"Too late now," was all North said back.

"I just think-"

"Cindy Lou is approaching the nest! I repeat, Cindy Lou is approaching the nest," Victor's excited voice cut through the transmission and I felt my heart jolt in anticipation.

"Who's with him?" North's voice sounded in my ear.

"I'm unable to confirm from my angle, but Cindy Lou's car just pulled into the driveway," Victor reported. "Oh, Hugsy and Purple People-Treater have been located. All three are exiting Cindy Lou's car. Over."

"Copy. Which driveway?" North asked as I shuffled as far as I could into the cupboard's corner. My heart rate increased to a gallop.

"Headquarters," Victor answered, and I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. They were two townhouses away still.

"Check the cameras," North's gruff voice ordered.

"I know how to do my job, North," Victor sighed, and I could practically hear his eyes rolling. "Hugsy and Purple People-Treater have diverted to Headquarters' kitchen, but Cindy Lou is on the move into Shangri-La."

Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. Who names their home "Shangri-La?"

Kota, Nathan, Victor, and Gabriel do, apparently.

"Good, we need him alone. Is he moving towards Siberia?" North questioned, causing my shoulders to tense in anticipation.

"Hmm, I think he's been distracted by something in Shangri-La," Victor answered unsurely. "Wait, not something. He's, well, it looks like he's having...um, a seizure maybe?"

"What?" I yelped, scrambling for my phone. I pulled it out of my bra and flicked on the camera to Shangri-La's living room while throwing open the cabinet's door. I was halfway out of the cupboard and intent on getting to Luke when my eyes focused on the screen. Somehow, the sight was still capable of surprising me.

"Is he...twerking?" I asked in confusion, watching Luke shuffle backwards across the hardwood floor, shaking his bum in an exaggerated figure eight motion.

"Trying to," North grunted in disgust. Luke began hopping up and down really fast as he leaned forward, his head turned over one shoulder to keep an eye on his shaking bottom. I bit my fist to hold in the laughter.

"Princess, are you in position?" Victor asked a moment later, not commenting further on the sight before us. "Is Siberia fully prepared?"

"Oh, um," I stuttered, clambering back into the cupboard and shutting the cabinet door. I'd forgotten how heavy the wood was, through, and winced as it slammed shut behind me.

"Shoot," I whispered, watching as Luke's form froze on the screen.

"Hey, who's home?" Luke called out, his voice trailing closer.

"Places, everyone!" Victor's hushed voice commanded, and I curled myself up tighter in the cabinet under the sink. "We've got one chance to make this work."

"Oh, it'll work," North muttered darkly through my earpiece. I suppressed a shiver; prankster North was terrifying.

"Are you sure about this?" I whispered, doubt creeping in as I readied my hands against the cabinet doors. "What if he gets hurt?"

"He'll be fine," North dismissed, not sounding the least bit concerned.

"Relax, Princess," Victor cooed softly through the line, making North snort. "Phase Two might be uncomfortable, but I promise you we wouldn't be doing this if it was actually dangerous. It helps that Cindy Lou is wearing jeans."

"We're just giving him some of his own medicine," North muttered, his voice dark and sinister. I gulped.

"You're in position, North Star?" I pressed, watching my screen as Gabriel bounded down the stairs and joined Luke in their living room.

"Four houses down," North confirmed. "We're right on schedule."

"Gabriel just joined-"

" _Ahem_ ," Victor cleared his throat, cutting me off.

"Excuse me. _Picasso_ just joined Cindy Lou in Shangri-La," I corrected myself with an eyeroll, trying to still my racing heart as I watched them walk closer to the door between townhouses.

"Shit, Picasso needs to beat it," North cursed roughly, and I could practically feel his anxiousness through the line.

"So bloodthirsty, North," Victor snorted a laugh.

"You didn't have to go commando in fucking jorts, man," North shot back in annoyance.

"-didn't help that the guy's hair didn't even reach her boobs at his full height," Luke's voice carried through the room as he and Gabriel strolled in. I sucked in a breath, my lungs feeling constricted as I tried to keep every nerve of my body still. There was fifteen feet and one small panel of wood separating me from my target.

 _Husband_ , I corrected myself. _Not target_.

Our prank consisted of several moving parts, none of which were guaranteed. They all depended on Luke's decisions and actions.

When North first brought up his intention to prank his brother, I had suggested putting some of Luke's belongings in a jello mold, like one of the shows we'd been watching recently. North said Luke would actually enjoy that, so it was immediately off the table.

Apparently this prank wasn't for fun.

Instead, we were counting on our ability to predict Luke's choices, which God and Luke himself couldn't even do.

"Sounds like freaky shit. So, did you tell Uncle about Sang?" Gabriel asked with interest, causing my eyes to narrow. What about me?

"Nah, I know Sang will want to be there when we tell him. North, too," Luke answered. "We haven't really decided how we're telling people about the baby yet, anyways."

A touch of tension drained from my shoulders as I watched them through the camera.

"I still can't fucking believe it," Gabriel breathed out, pulling out his phone and tapping on the screen a few times. "I mean, a _baby._ And it's gonna be here in seven months."

"Do you think it could be twins?" Luke asked with interest as I gaped at the screen. Victor snickered into his mic.

"Luke, we saw the ultrasound," Gabriel replied, confused. "There was definitely only one little bean in there."

"Yeah, well maybe it was hidden behind that one. Or the other bean ate it!"

I moved a numb hand to my stomach, trying to control my breathing.

"Luke, that's not how-"

"Do you think it's too late to knock her up again?" Luke added thoughtfully. "We could still have fraternal twins, right?"

There was a long silence before I saw Gabriel chop Luke over the head.

"I know you took that Sex Ed class with me in school, so I'm not sure where all this shit is coming from," Gabriel commented in disbelief. "You'd have more luck with a fucking Stork delivering a second baby than what you're talking about."

Oh, Luke.

"Purple People-Treater would be losing his mind right now," Victor mumbled in awe. "Does Cindy Lou really believe that?"

"We'd be doing the world a favor if Sang and Cindy never stop using condoms when they sleep together," North grunted in amusement.

"Hey!" I whispered in offense, watching Luke and Gabriel keep talking on the screen. I was too distracted by the idea of having a hidden fetus to really focus on what they were saying, though.

"Mr. Grey-" Victor started to say, ripping me out of my baby haze.

"Victor, stop calling him Mr. Grey!" I snapped, hastily covering my mouth when the kitchen went silent.

"Did you hear something?" Luke's voice carried into the cupboard. "I could've sworn I'd heard a noise a minute ago, too."

"Shit, you think we got mice?" Gabriel asked, and my blood pressure jumped into overdrive as I heard the sound of a cabinet opening and closing. "Sounded like it came from the kitchen."

"Dosomethingdosomethingdosomething," I mumbled rapidly under my breath as quietly as possible, turning off my phone's screen in case the boys could see it through the open sliver of the cabinet door.

"We need Picasso out before he see's it," North's worried tone crackled through, and I gripped my phone tighter in my hands. "They're too close!"

"Text Silas," Victor ordered quickly.

"Copy. On it," North answered in a rush.

"Maybe, but I've stopped hiding goodies at odd places around the kitchens," Luke said with a frown in his voice. "I really just hide sweets in my room now."

"Oh, do you?" North muttered darkly.

Another cabinet slammed closed, and I squeezed my eyes shut.

"Guys, please-" I whispered frantically, wondering what to do once they got to my hiding spot.

"Gabe, you got a minute?" Silas's deep voice called from another room as I held my breath.

"I guess, what's up?" Gabe answered, a cabinet shutting as I heard footsteps walking away.

"Need your help with my disguise for tomorrow," Silas called before a door opened and I pictured his giant form filling up the frame.

"Fuck yeah! Let's go," Gabriel beamed, his spirits lifting as I allowed myself to breathe. I flipped on the camera and saw all three of them gathered around the door to Shangri-La.

"What about the mice?" Luke frowned.

"There's no mice, Luke," Gabriel rolled his eyes, beckoning Silas forward as he headed towards the stairs. "It was probably just a creaky pipe or a bird outside. Let's go see what you have in your closet, Silas."

Gabriel and Silas headed up the stairs as I watched Luke's head turn back to the kitchen. He still looked a little suspicious, but I prayed he didn't begin opening cabinets again.

"I'm onto you, Mr. Mouse," Luke muttered warning, eyes narrowing towards my direction. "This isn't over, but I have more important things to worry about right now."

With that, Luke began humming a hip hop melody, and I watched in fascination as he started to jiggle his bottom again.

" _Make that booty work, booty work, booty booty booty work_ ," Luke sang quietly, lost in his own world of butt shaking and hair flipping as I tried not to join in Victor and North's sniggers.

" _Left cheek, right cheek_ ," Luke continued, making a point to pop out each side as he sang them. I'm sure my lip was going to start bleeding from how hard I was biting it. " _Left cheek-_ "

Luke froze mid-twerk, gasping as his gaze zoned in on the kitchen island.

"Phase One," Victor whispered through his chuckles, and I'd almost forgotten we were pulling a prank.

"My brother is so fucking weird," North grumbled as Luke began slowly walking towards the counter.

"A cupcake?" Luke questioned aloud, his voice filled with awe as he approached the island. "One pretty, little cupcake sitting here all alone."

"Does he always fucking talk to himself out loud?" North asked.

"You must be _so_ lonely, little cupcake," Luke cooed, leaning on the counter as my eyes stayed glued to the screen. My adrenaline was starting to flow from the anticipation, and I knew we were mere seconds away from the beginning. "And all for me?"

Seriously? He ate half of an entire cake yesterday.

"Don't be lonely, little love," Luke continued soothingly, and to be honest I was starting to get slightly jealous of said cupcake. Was he wooing it? "I'll take good care of you. Show you a sugar rush you've never seen before. Nimble fingers you wouldn't believe. Licking you never knew existed."

Yep, definitely jealous.

"That's it, I'm getting him committed," North declared firmly. "First thing tomorrow, we're taking this damn idiot to the nuthouse."

Luke leant closer, reverently picking up the cupcake by it's paper liner while he gazed at it with hooded eyes.

"There's so much icing on you, it should be illegal. You sexy thing," Luke murmured, his voice turning deliciously husky.

I wanted to throw that cupcake off a cliff.

Everyone had their eating habits, Luke included. Anytime I'd seen him devour one of his precious cupcakes, he always started the same way. One big, juicy bite directly off the top. He usually ended up with half of the baked good in his mouth just from that bite. Icing never failed to get all over his nose and chin, but that didn't stop him. It didn't help that he knew I thought he looked cute like that, either.

"Come to papa, baby," Luke ordered gruffly, bringing the treat up to his mouth.

"Thank God the cameras are recording," Victor said with wonder as Luke took his big, juicy bite right off the top.

Only it wasn't a big, juicy cupcake he was biting into.

Where Luke was expecting a moist, fluffy cake center, he was instead going to find the dense, crunchy head of a broccoli floret.

And what might've looked like light, heavenly white icing was actually cottage cheese that North spent ten minutes whipping with a mixer.

But it looked exactly like a cupcake.

There was an audible crunch when Luke sunk his teeth into the treat, and I'm pretty sure all four of us froze in place.

"Ahh!" Luke screamed in alarm, backing up a few steps as he held out the cupcake. "What-ahhh!"

It was comical, the way he took a step to the right, then switched to the left, holding the cupcake as far away from his body as possible as his mouth hung wide open. Bits of white and green fell from his mouth as his gaze shot all over the room.

" _Broccoli?"_ Luke managed to splutter in betrayal around the clumps of food in his mouth, eyes wide with confusion.

I stifled a laugh when it clicked, his eyes narrowing dangerously on the healthy snack before him. A dangerous growl, something he'd surely picked up from North, erupted from Luke's throat before he launched the vegetable across the room.

" _Noooo_!" Luke cried in distress, voice filled with pain and loss.

"Get ready, Princess," Victor managed to whisper through his chuckles, and I quietly set my phone down before turning towards the pipe that connected to our sink.

"Tell me when," I mumbled under my breath, holding onto the tube that we'd attached to the pipe earlier today.

A _bang_ sounded beside me, Luke crashing against my cabinet as he reached the sink. The sound of gagging and spluttering reached my ears, and my pulse jumped.

"Now!" Victor ordered in rush as Luke coughed into the sink.

I squeezed our makeshift pump, watching food coloring travel through the clear tube until it hit the pipe. Placing the pump under my foot, I kept pushing it while turning and readying myself against the cabinet doors.

"Which one?" I whispered hurriedly, eyeing both cabinet doors in front of me as I picked up my weapon.

"Shoot, he's kind of blocking both," Victor's distressed voice was barely heard over Luke's cursing.

"Holy bajeezus, who invented broccoli? This tastes like-what the heck! Why is the water green? Is the broccoli changing my vision?" Luke exclaimed before I heard him leaning against the counter, followed by a slurping sound. "Pah! Pcht! _Yuck!_ Oh God, that's nasty."

We might've slipped a few tablespoons of salt into the food coloring, as well.

" _Your left, Sang! Your left!"_ Victor yelled through the earpiece, and I jumped, barely holding in a startled scream.

Nudging open the left cabinet _just_ far enough to get my hand through, I silently peeked through and saw Luke leaning over the counter. The front of his jeans were slightly loose from the position, which helped my mission. With no time to waste, I reached out and pointed my baster directly at his private parts. Two quick squirts later, and both the baster and my arm were safely back inside the cupboard.

Luke's gagging and coughing continued until I heard the sound of the faucet being shut off and stumbling footsteps.

"That's sick," Luke mumbled manically through his coughing, and I hastily turned on my phone's screen to watch as he stumbled towards the refrigerator. "Just wrong. Stupid broccoli is messing with my tastebuds. Bleh! There's no salt in tap water…."

"Next stage shall commence in three...two...one," Victor counted down in a hushed voice as I watched the refrigerator door fly open.

"What the-" Luke sighed in frustration, making some foreign sound of revulsion with his mouth. "Where are all of our drinks?"

Then just like we'd planned and hoped, Luke's eyes zoned in on the lone bottle of Nesquik sitting by itself on the middle shelf.

The desperate boy lunged for it, not seeming to notice or care that a straw was already sitting in place of the cap as he starting slurping down the tasty treat.

Watching the shock and alarm register on Luke's face, I almost felt bad.

 _Almost._

With another gag, Luke staggered back with his eyes locked on the bottle of Nesquik like it'd declared war on all breakfast cereals containing sugar.

Not that I blamed him. After all, there was no milk in that bottle. The straw was poked directly into a large packet of hot sauce nestled safely in the confines of the plastic container.

I think Taco Bell called this one "Diablo." And it was hot.

"Holy mother of cocoa beans, my tastebuds!" Luke cried, fanning his lolling tongue as he tossed the Nesquik bottle into the sink without a care.

I used one hand to smother my mouth, not allowing any laughter to escape. A pang of guilt hit me, but I forced myself to remember what North had been through on the peach plantation.

The freezer door flung open as Luke sifted through the contents, and I winced in sympathy for him. I had a feeling I was going to owe him a lot of kisses after this one.

"Where's the ice?" He squeaked, one hand still fanning his gaping mouth as his gaze darted around the room. "Ah, bathroom!"

He took off like a light, bounding up the stairs without a backwards glance.

"Phase One complete," Victor stated proudly with a sigh.

We took a moment to bask in the glory.

"Begin Phase Two," North muttered after a beat, his voice low and smug. "Let's finish him."

I was starting to get a little worried about my North Star.

"You ready, Sang?" Victor asked. "Hugsy is with Picasso, and Purple-People-Treater went upstairs. You're in the clear."

"Yep, just need to grab my jacket," I answered, stumbling out of the cabinet as I tried to get my heartbeat under control. My legs were stiff from being cramped in a box for so long, so I took a moment to stretch them before rushing to the door.

"Great job so far, everyone," Victor praised, and I beamed. "Let's try to make Phase Two run just as smoothly."

"We're still on schedule," North reported as I hurried into the next townhouse and headed towards Headquarters. "Toby should be here in about five minutes."

"We'll be there," I assured him, flinging open the door and tip-toeing as fast as possible through the living room so I wouldn't bother Owen and Sean upstairs. "Can you see if-"

"Darling?" A voice from across the room startling me to a halt, one hand flying to my chest as I whirled around at the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh," I breathed out, not sure if I was relieved or even more anxious. "Hi."

"What are you up to, Sang?" Owen asked warily, his eyes narrowing slightly on my frozen figure. He was sitting on the furthest couch, an iPad in hand but his focus on me.

"I'm, uh...it's a surprise!" I rushed out, slightly breathless.

"A surprise?" Owen echoed flatly, eyeing me doubtfully.

"Yes, a surprise!" I grinned, mentally patting myself on the back for finding an out while simultaneously ignoring Victor and North's snickering through my earpiece.

Technically, I wasn't lying. Luke had no idea what was coming.

"What kind of surprise?" Owen asked casually, setting down the iPad beside him but I prayed he didn't stand up.

"The...surprising kind?" I asked unsurely, inching towards the bottom step.

"You're not getting into any trouble, are you?" Owen's lips twitched.

"Of course not," I denied, shaking my head adamantly.

"Enjoy your surprise then, love," Owen nodded along, not looking the slightest bit convinced as his amused eyes studied mine.

"Thanks. Um, you too, Mr. Grey," I offered hastily before turning back towards the stairs, blanching when my words caught up with me.

"Pardon?" Owen asked in confusion.

" _Nothing!_ " I squeaked, booking it up the stairs two steps at a time as North burst out laughing.

I was definitely being in charge of the codenames next time.

 **A/N: I love how every other chapter of Eleven I've added a comment saying "Guys, I'm trying to be serious with this one, okay? There's going to be some sensitive topics, and they're gonna be grown ups. It'll be a pretty somber story." Umm, yeah. About that….**

 **I chose the father before even finishing the first chapter, so I won't be changing anything there...but I'd love to hear who you guys think it'll be! (I won't be laying out hints or anything, after all - Sang and the boys don't know yet, either.)**


	11. Chapter Eleven: Don't Go Bacon My Heart

**Chapter Eleven: Don't Go Bacon My Heart**

My insides were tingling with anticipation like they did during every mission. After grabbing a light jacket, slipping out the front door, walking across three front yards so I wouldn't have to pass by Owen again, and sneaking into Luke's townhouse, I quickly skipped up the steps in a rush to his bedroom.

"Cindy? Uh, I mean, Luke?" I called out, coughing slightly on my involuntary slip and wandering through his door, following the sound of running water to his bathroom.

The scene before me made my jaw drop.

"Luke, what are you doing?" I cried in alarm, not having to fake my surprise when I saw his entire head submerged in an overflowing sink. Water splashed over the edges, his white knuckles grasping the vanity's edges in a death grip as his blonde mop flailed around in the water.

"What's wrong, Sang Baby?" North's concerned voice shot through my earpiece as I rushed to Luke, clutching his shirt in a tight grip before tugging backwards.

He came up spluttering and gasping for air, water flying everywhere.

"Are you okay, Luke?" I asked worriedly, trying to get a good look at his face but those damned beautiful blonde locks of his were plastered across every inch of skin. He really did resemble a mop. "Why were you doing that?"

"Doing what?" North's voice pressed impatiently. "Damn it, pull up the camera, Vic!"

"Why did you have your head underwater like that?" I clarified quickly for North's benefit, hastily wiping Luke's hair off his face as he continued to cough. His hands were shaking as they came up to wipe furiously at both closed eyes while leaning against me with a groan.

"Luke, talk to me," I coaxed quietly, rubbing my hands up and down his arms to try and calm his shuddering.

"I can still taste it," Luke moaned painfully, his forehead dipping against the top of my head as I moved both hands to press against his chest for support.

Oh God, he was taking this prank harder than I expected.

My hands rubbed soothingly up and down his chest as I took a tiny step closer. I was careful not to lean too closely against his lower half, knowing I didn't want what was basted on the front of his jeans to get on me.

"Taste what?" I asked innocently, trying not to cringe as I played along. He made North wear short, jean overalls, I kept reminding myself. Payback had always been fair play in this family.

Luke pulled back slowly, his unfocused gaze wandering around the quiet bathroom before sliding slowly to me. His haunted eyes gleamed at me, pulling tight at something in my soul as I felt the first pang of regret for pulling that stupid prank.

We should've listened to Victor and put sleeping pills in Luke's chocolate milk instead.

"The broccoli," Luke whispered despondently, and a shudder traveled down his entire body before my eyes. "I brushed my teeth four times, but I can't get rid of it. The essence will always be there."

"Oh, Luke," I cooed indulgently, moving my hands around his waist to rub at his lower back. "You poor thing."

"It won't leave me alone," he continued slowly, voice laced with forewarning. "I can never escape it."

"He's okay?" North asked suspiciously in my ear before snorting. "Of course he's okay, he's whining about vegetables."

"You're okay," I whispered mournfully, leaning forward and placing a soft kiss on Luke's lean bicep.

"Maybe. Only time will tell," Luke muttered back doubtfully, and I was caught between a sigh and snort at his dramatics.

"You need to get him outside, Sang," Victor's voice cackled through my earpiece. His voice was serious, but not impatient.

"You know what might help?" I asked lightly as Luke's hands came up absentmindedly to rest on my hips.

"Nothing," Luke answered immediately.

I stifled an eyeroll. What a baby.

"How about some fresh air?" I offered, stepping back a bit and letting my hands slide down his arms to pull them off my hips, intertwining our fingers in the process.

Luke snorted, one hand leaving mine to rub harshly against his lips, as if he'd been just kissed by a giant slug.

"Come on," I pressed, tugging lightly on his fingers as he finally brought his gaze to meet mine. "I actually came here because I wanted to show you something."

"Show me what?" Luke's eyebrows rose expecting, a sense of awareness entering his eyes that allowed my shoulders to loosen slightly.

"A surprise," I grinned teasingly, echoing the same excuse I'd given Owen.

"I'm not sure how I feel about surprises right now, Cupcake," Luke shivered again, eyes narrowing slightly.

I felt a moment of hesitation. Luke already suffered enough, and the second part of our prank wasn't really necessary. Surely we could-

"Don't you dare back down, Sang," North growled into my ear. "Three days, baby. Three days in jean overalls that didn't even reach the middle of my thighs."

I snorted unceremoniously, trying to hide it with a cough. Luke gave me an odd look, but he was more focused on twisting his mouth in different grimaces.

"It involves...um, licking?" I asked hopefully, using both hands to tug on his free one now. Luke humored me, following me out of the bathroom at a slower, zombie-like pace.

"Licking, hmm?" Luke asked, clearly intrigued now.

I just couldn't tell if he thought the licking would involve me or a tasty treat.

But now wasn't the time to get jealous over baked goods again.

"You're cutting it close on time, Princess," Victor reported in as I pulled Luke through his room and into the hallway. "Everyone else is accounted for, and the coast is clear on your exit route. North, you're in position?"

"Yeah, and all clear out here, too," North answered gruffly as I started down the stairs. Luke had started playing with the fingers on my right hand, twisting them side to side playfully.

"So, you had some veggies for lunch?" I asked cautiously as we reached the bottom of the stairs, not wanting to bring it up again but knowing it would seem weird if I hadn't asked about that whole episode upstairs.

"Eh," Luke cringed, pulling up beside me and swinging the front door open. He tilted his head, one hand on my lower back as he nudged me through the threshold first. "Somebody has a very cruel, cruel sense of humor. At first I suspected North, but there's no way he could've planned that all himself."

"Oh yeah, fucker?" North's voice boomed. "I'll show you who-"

"Planned what?" I interjected North's tirade, despite Luke not being able to hear it.

"It was the worst, Sang," Luke sighed, grabbing my hand as I turned him left on the sidewalk. He followed easily as the dark memories overtook him. "I was tricked. I ate a...they made me eat a...it was a...a..."

"A piece of broccoli?" I prompted, anticipating Luke's involuntary shudder this time and giving his hand a squeeze.

"A piece of what nightmares are made of," Luke corrected with a wince, scooting closer to me as we strolled down the sidewalk.

"What a fucking baby," North continued, and I could practically hear his scowl before his voice turned serious. "Alert, Toby is on the move! I repeat, Toby is in the open and on the move. Heading West."

My heart jumped in anticipation as I picked up my pace and we turned the corner. Luke and I were about a block away, and I could see North's black jeep at its spot across the street. He was nearby.

"But enough about my afternoon from hell," Luke shrugged it off, his stride easily picking up to match mine. I looked up just in time to catch an eyebrow waggle he sent to me. "Tell me more about this licking surprise."

"We're almost there," I managed to smile despite my nerves. I was tempted to turn us around and head back home, but I needed to do this for North. North in overalls, I kept chanting to myself for courage. With no underwear.

Well, now my thoughts were getting a little heated.

Grumpy North with none of his black clothes to wear, I thought to myself instead, picturing how cranky he'd be. That worked better.

Luke would forgive me eventually, just like North would forgive him.

"What kind of licking is this gonna involve?" Luke questioned curiously, brow furrowing adorably. "We're outside, and I don't see a bakery anywhere nearby."

"You'll see. We're almost there," I assured him, placing my free hand on his forearm. It was a beautiful Fall day, and I was happy we actually had a chance to take a walk in it. I tried not to look at North's jeep as we passed it, wondering if he was inside or had found a different spot to hide.

"And we're live in three...two...one," Victor's relaxing, baritone voice traveled through my earpiece as I bit my lip. "It's go time."

Right on cue, a giant, black and white contraption came rushing around one of the side houses, heading towards us on the sidewalk.

"Oh look, Toby!" I pointed, tugging on Luke's hand.

A grin threatened to split Luke's face in two as he saw the Great Dane loping towards us on the sidewalk, pulling a small, elderly lady behind him. Luke sent a wave to Mrs. Banford as we picked up our pace.

"Hey, Mrs. Banford! Hi Toby!" Luke called out happily, Toby responding with his own bark of joy when he spotted us and started tugging harder on his leash. Mrs. Banford, used to running into us on walks, let go of Toby's leash and smiled fondly as he bounded towards us.

Phase Two was in motion.

Slipping my hand from Luke's, there was a hectic moment as Toby reached me and I was overwhelmed by a slobbery tongue, sniffing nose, and the powerful force of his almost two hundred pound body that would've knocked me over if it weren't for Luke's hand moving to support my back.

Toby's head reached my chest, and I patted his head, scratching behind his pointed ears as his overexcited nose sniffed all over my jacket.

Then the hyper dog-giant-hybrid moved to Luke, and his friendly attack became a warzone assault.

Toby went straight for the crotch.

I cringed as Luke howled, caving in on himself with a cry mixed of shock and discomfort. I stood there stupidly, glancing at Mrs. Banford hustling down the sidewalk towards us before looking back at Toby's furry head burrowing aggressively into Luke's privates. My muscles seized up, knowing I should be helping Luke but forcing myself to stay back from the panic. I saw lots of tongue, buckets of slobber, and even hints of teeth as I stood there silently while North and Victor's laughter almost overshadowed the sounds of Luke's cries.

"Uhh," I stammered, unable to stop myself from leaning forward and patting Toby's thrashing head. "Good boy, Toby. That's enough!"

"Lucian!" Mrs. Banford cried as Luke fell back onto the grass, overpowered by Toby's forceful advances. She was still hustling towards us, her short legs only able to move so fast. "Lucian, are you alright, dear? Toby, stop that!"

"Holy mother of-" Luke gasped out, wiggling against the grass as Toby went at him, both hands pushing against the dog's snout. I knew I would normally be laughing at such a scene, but I was worried Toby might be getting a little too rough.

A growl sounded, and my eyes widened.

"Shit!" Luke cried, cringing away from Toby and pushing harder against his head. "Stop, stop, stop! You mangy mutt!"

"Oh no," I murmured, officially regretting this as I leaned down and grabbed Toby's leash. I tugged back as hard as possible, but Toby was too focused on his treat. Mrs. Banford had managed to reach us by this point, and she grabbed a portion of the leash in front of me.

"Toby, stop!" She commanded, tugging hard on the leash with me. "Pull, young lady!"

"Yes, ma'am," I answered dutifully, and we both tugged at the same time. It barely moved Toby an inch.

"Oh my God, my balls," Luke moaned in agony, pinned down as Toby's paws found purchase on one of Luke's thighs and held him down. "Make it stop!"

"Toby!" Mrs. Banford called, tugging more on the leash as I joined in.

"Now, North, now!" I whispered worriedly into the earpiece, hoping he'd hear it over his own raucous laughter.

"Aww. Don't ruin my fun, Sang baby," North whined lightly with a sigh, but I knew he'd listen.

Within the next second, Toby's head shot up and looked to our left like a prairie dog. He sniffed the air once before taking off down the sidewalk at a quick jog, Mrs. Banford following after him as I let go of the leash.

Thank God North's dog whistle worked.

Bracing myself, I turned back to where Luke was collapsed in the grass. His chest was heaving as he tried to catch his breath, and I stepped closer with both hands offered out to help him up.

"Are you alright, Luke?" I asked guiltily, feeling like a traitor.

"Yeah, I'm good," Luke breathed out, gripping my hands as we both worked to pull him upright. "That was crazy, though."

"Yeah," I agreed hesitantly, keeping hold of Luke's right hand as I looked around. We hadn't exactly planned what happened after the prank. Were North and Victor going to pop out? "Umm..."

"Go ahead and tell him, Sang," Victor snickered through my earpiece.

Me, take the blame? Alone? This was not the plan!

"Toby was seriously going at my junk," Luke said in disbelief, wiping off his jeans that were covered in slobber and grass stains now. "What the heck is going on today?"

"Luke," I started, but my throat closed up and silence fell. Luke's hands settled on my hips, pulling me closer. I took a deep breath of Fall air before steeling myself and ripping off the bandaid. "I have a confession."

My words were barely above the sound of breathing, but Luke was close enough that he could make them out.

"A confession?" Luke echoed, eyes lighting up in amusement as he sent me a wink. "Alright, Cupcake. Go ahead and confess your little heart out. What'd you do today? Make pancakes without chocolate chips in them?"

"Luke," I sighed, a little exasperated but mostly guilty. "I..."

"You...?" Luke pressed, lips tilting up into a full grin as he squeezed my waist.

"I...," I leaned closer, placing both hands on his lean chest as I reached up to whisper in his ear. "I basted bacon flavored seasoning onto the front of your jeans."

Even North and Victor were silent in my ear as Luke's body stiffened.

One heartbeat passed where the only sound was my own pulse, then two.

"Wait...what?" Luke stammered, pulling back to stare at me in confusion. "You basted..."

"Your jeans," I supplied readily, pursing my lips as I tried to read his expression.

"You basted my jeans with...," Luke trailed off again, looking at me finish the sentence.

"Bacon flavored seasoning," I winced, glancing down to the freshly cut grass before looking back up at him.

"Because you knew that Toby would...," Luke trailed off once more as his eyes narrowed dangerously at me.

"Dogs really love bacon," I mumbled in explanation, fiddling with a button on Luke's shirt.

"You did that?" Luke pressed expectantly, licking his lips as his mind worked through it. I couldn't tell if he felt betrayed or baffled. "You pranked me? Your own partner in crime?"

"God, what a drama queen," North snorted, snickering through my bluetooth.

"Yes," I admitted, my fingers dropping down to his belt loops. "I did it."

"You little minx," Luke muttered slowly, eyes narrowing even further. "You played me."

"I did," I nodded along, fussing with his belt loops.

"And what do you have to say for yourself, young lady?" Luke frowned.

"Honestly?" I licked my lips, keeping my gaze locked on his as I leaned forward and whispered, "I liked it."

"Hey, Lucian!" North called, and it took me a moment to register that his voice wasn't only coming through my earpiece. Luke and I stumbled apart, turning to see North jogging down the sidewalk. The action looked out of place with his black jeans, but he caught up with us quickly. "Sean saw you guys head out. He wanted me to let you two know dinner should be ready soon."

"O-kay," Luke answered slowly, staring suspiciously at North.

"You alright, Luke?" North asked, giving him a concerned glance before I saw his lips twitching into that devastating smirk. "You're looking a little green."

Luke gasped, his body taking an automatic step forward before freezing in place.

"You," Luke growled, fixing North with a harsh glare. "The broccoli..."

"I'll see you two at dinner," North's smirk remained fixed in place as he started sauntering backwards, gaze fixed on Luke. "Sean said something about broccoli cheddar soup?"

"You asshole!" Luke accused, springing forward as North turned and started booking it down the sidewalk. Luke jutted to a stop after a few steps, turning to see me trying not to choke on my own laughter. He sent me a mischievous grin, looking way too evil for my liking as he stalked towards me on the pavement. Light on his feet, shoulders hunched forward, he looked like a predator sneaking up on the helpless antelope by the watering hole.

"Luke, stop it," I managed through my laughter, automatically taking a few steps backward onto the grass from the feeling of being hunted. "Don't come any closer!"

"You sneaky wench!" Luke cried, jumping forward before I could fully turn around to run away. I managed to turn half way around before his arms encircled me, flipping us over in the air before we landed with a thump on Mr. Procter's front lawn. I landed on a warm, hard chest, and from the huff of air that escaped Luke, I knew the ground and I had just made a Luke sandwich.

"Luke! Are you okay?" I asked, propping my hands on the grass and pushing up to make sure he could breathe properly. "That sounded painful."

"I just survived a full on frontal attack from a rabid dog, Sang," Luke chuckled, tightening his hold around my waist and pulling me flush against him. "Trust me, anything else would feel like a pinch right now."

"I really am sorry," I said honestly, wincing at the memory of Toby's attack. "I didn't expect him to get that...excited."

"Eh, I can't blame Toby for trying to get a piece of this," Luke shrugged against the grass, surely getting grass stains on the back of his button down.

"So modest, Luke," I smiled affectionately down at him, secretly knowing that I wouldn't blame anybody for trying to get with Luke. The way the sun affected his blonde mane was mesmerizing right now, and it was like looking at strands of pure gold surrounding his model-like face.

Sometimes it was difficult to feel worthy of such beauty.

"Well, one of us has to be modest," he grinned back, leaning up to steal a quick kiss. I gladly returned it. "The other one is too busy thinking she's a master prankster now."

He stole another kiss before I could respond, and Luke managed to flip us over in one smooth move so my back was against the grass. His mouth moved to my ear, and I nuzzled into his neck before a more pressing matter stole my attention.

"Luke, you're so wet," I laughed against his neck, squirming to get my legs away from his slobber-covered jeans while my arms wrapped tighter around his shoulders. I could feel Toby's drool seeping into my own jeans.

"Geez, Sang. That's my line," Luke teased. His arms disappeared from holding me, and I heard the distinct sound of a belt unbuckling. Was he...?

"Luke, put your pants back on!" I cried in disbelief, a burst of shocked laughter escaping me as he shimmied out of the offending clothing. It caused his upper body and legs to rub against me, and I couldn't deny I enjoyed his close proximity.

"And that's my cue to go offline," Victor murmured through the earpiece. "Over and out, Princess."

"Sang Baby, if Luke talks you into taking your clothes off in the middle of Mr. Procter's front yard, tell him broccoli will be the least of his worries," North gruff voice warned before I heard two clicks and the line went silent.

"Luke, seriously," I laughed, taking a quick glance to the left and right to make sure nobody was nearby. I'm sure stripping out in the open was against our homeowner association's rules, and I didn't want a kid to be scarred for life. "Why are you taking your pants off?"

"Like you said, they're covered in dog drool," Luke grumbled with a grimace, kicking the last of his jeans off with his feet. I could only lie there and try not to choke on my own laughter as my legs automatically spread further to catch his body against mine. "Ah, much better."

Luke deliberately grasped one of my wrists, moving it up to rest above my head. He repeated the same action with my other wrist, planting them together with one of his hands to hold them captive. I was trapped against the grass as his brown eyes sparkled down at me.

"I'm very disappointed in you, Cupcake," Luke began solemnly, a finger from his free hand leisurely trailing down my arm. It was a good thing my jacket was in the way, or I'm sure goosebumps would be covering every inch of skin along his path. "Thinking you could get away with pulling a prank on me?"

"You had no idea it was me," I pointed out with twitching lips, trying not to laugh at the mock-serious expression he was looking at me with. "I had to tell you, remember?"

"The pain is making it hard for me to remember much of anything," Luke pouted, his finger trailing up my shoulder and along my jaw. "You don't understand how agonizing this is."

I scrunched my nose as he tapped a finger against it, and Luke leaned down until his lips were a breath from mine. I closed my eyes in anticipation, angling my head up to meet his.

Imagine my surprise when not only did I not get a kiss, but instead got a faceful of Luke's breath fanning over me.

"Wha-"

"Do you smell that, Cupcake?" Luke asked, huffing more breath onto my face. "My breath still smells like broccoli!"

I could only smell minty freshness from his intense toothbrushing session, but my eyes fluttered open to see Luke breathing all over my face in short puffs.

"Luke!"

"It's not even the broccoli part that kills me," Luke admitted when he was finished exhaling on me. "I'll get North back for that. It's the fact that you voluntarily participated in the torture of my gonads."

"Excuse me?" I asked on a laugh, looping one of my ankles around the back of his calf. "Toby was just being friendly. Maybe a little overly-friendly, but he meant no harm."

"Oh, there was definitely harm," Luke's head nodded vigorously, that beautiful mane of blonde hair framing his face and tickling my cheeks. "We better hope the little cupcake you're baking in that belly right now is mine, 'cause I think any future possibility of my swimmers winning that race has now been obliterated."

"Don't joke about that," I told him, nudging Luke's hip with my thigh. But his words made me frown. "And did he really hurt you that badly?"

"Oh yes," Luke's nods turned playful as he tossed me a sly smile, "very badly. And you know, usually when one of us gets hurt, you kiss it all better."

"You want me to kiss...?"

"They're in pain, Cupcake," Luke defended solemnly, lip slipping out in a pout that was almost too cute for me to handle.

"Luke, you are impossible," I grinned, another burst of laughter escaping me as his body pressed against mine. He swooped down to brush a kiss against my neck, and my wrists flexed against his hold. "And we're in public right now, which means you should probably put your pants back on and get off of me."

"I think I'd rather keep my pants off and stay right where I am," Luke murmured against my skin, trailing a featherlight path of kisses up my neck. I blamed the cooling Fall weather for the small shiver that travels down my spine. "Who ever had fun by putting clothes on?"

That wasn't an argument I wanted to challenge.

"Owen and Gabriel won't be happy about us getting grass stains," I pointed out, mostly to keep my mind off the possibility of us making out in Mr. Procter's front yard right now.

Sadly, grass stains were the only excuse I could come up with of why we shouldn't be making out right now.

Not very convincing, which is probably why Luke didn't deign to respond.

Instead, his lips kept up a steady path along my jaw, his free hand moving down my side to grasp my hip. I wiggled down as much as Luke's grip on my wrists would allow, dipping my mouth to meet his in a warm kiss.

"I haven't even decided on your punishment yet, and here you are trying to steal kisses," Luke murmured against my lips before I pressed firmly against him. Luke let his weight drop a little more, sitting deliciously against me as the kiss turned long and languid.

I swear my legs moved on their own accord, ankles hooking together behind Luke's back. I couldn't blame my tongue for licking Luke's minty-fresh lips or pushing past his welcoming lips. Even a nun would've jumped at the chance to feel the way Luke's tongue danced with mine in a slow, steady rhythm. Chocolate had nothing on the way my senses soared when Luke's lips moved against mine. It was heaven.

I could've stayed there for days, wrapped up in Luke's embrace, soaking in the warm afternoon sun. Grass stains were the last thing on my mind when Luke's hand slipped inside my shirt to play across my stomach, and his hips finally moved against mine in one delectable rock. Yes, this was definitely heaven.

Mr. Procter, on the other hand, seemed to disagree.

"What in the living hell are you hooligans doing in my yard?" Mr. Procter's deep voice boomed through my Luke haze while Luke and I jumped with a start. Luke scrambled off me, grabbing my hand as we both fumbled to our feet. "How many times do I have to tell you to keep off my grass?"

"We're sorry, Mr. Procter!" Luke apologized in a rush, grabbing his jeans off the ground as I scooped up his shoes. One of his socks had come off in our tumbling, but it was a necessary sacrifice as Luke tugged me towards the sidewalk. "It won't happen again!"

"Getting naked on my zoysia like a couple of animals? You're damned right it won't happen again!" He thundered behind us, storming down his yard towards us. "If I ever see you within spitting distance of my yard, I'm calling the cops!"

"Sorry, Mr. Procter!" I called over my shoulder, jogging down the sidewalk with Luke. We kept up a rushed pace until we turned the corner back to our street, slowing down enough to catch our breath and let out a few nervous giggles.

Luke was still in his boxers, and I had to look away to avoid collapsing into a giggling fit.

"Come here, Cupcake," Luke commanded, and I turned to see him facing away from me, crouching slightly. "Hop on, darlin'."

"You want to give me a piggyback ride?" I asked, trying to stifle a smile at how silly he looked in his underwear. Rolling my eyes, I dropped Luke's shoes on the sidewalked and grasped his shoulders before hopping up. He hooked both hands under my thighs before slipping his shoes back on and starting down the pavement.

"I always want to give you a ride," Luke quipped, giving my thigh a quick squeeze.

"Are you sure it's not just because I'm pregnant and you're treating me like an invalid again?" I asked, pointedly ignoring his innuendo. From previous experience, I knew he wasn't lying.

"I know you're capable of walking two blocks back to our home, Sang. But soon you're going to be too fat for me to carry you like this, so I need to enjoy it while I can," Luke observed with a smile as my eyebrows flew up.

"Fat?" I choked out, knowing there must be some rule against people calling a pregnant woman fat. Not that Luke bothered to follow the rules.

"You know what I mean," I could practically feel his eyes rolling as a hand patted the back of my thigh. "Maybe 'plump with child' is a better way of putting it."

My eyebrows flew impossibly higher. Plump with child?

"Luke-"

"It's a good thing!" He defended, grip tightening on my legs as he looked ahead. "I can't wait to see you with a baby bump, Sang. It's gonna be so sexy."

"Sexy?" I echoed in surprise, my jaw dropping as I tried to lean over Luke's shoulder. "What in the world is attractive about being pregnant?"

"You just said it," Luke snorted, turning his head slightly to shoot me a grin that was so beautiful I felt a slight ache in my heart. He licked his lips, voice dropping to a whisper like we were sharing a secret. "Sang, you're gonna have our kid. One of us did that to you, and you have no idea the sense of primal satisfaction that goes along with getting your girl pregnant."

No, I suppose I didn't.

"Does this mean we're going to have a lot of babies?" I asked curiously, knowing we hadn't planned or talked about this yet. While this mini-cupcake wasn't planned, I'm sure the next one was going to be planned down to the date of conception.

"We're going to have as many little rugrats as you want, Sang," Luke answered happily as I leaned my chin on his shoulder, both arms wrapping around to rest on his chest.

"Yes, but we're all a part of this family," I pointed out, tightening my grip on Luke as I thought about it. "Shouldn't everyone get a say?"

"Can you imagine all of us deciding on a number?" Luke snorted, kicking an acorn across the sidewalk when we were only a few houses down from our own home.

"That'd be an interesting family meeting," I grinned, nuzzling against Luke's neck. It was warm and inviting.

"Yeah, I can just see Kota doing some math to find the average," Luke snickered lightly. "He'd calculate 3.5 kids, and then we'd get into an argument about rounding."

"Oh gosh, I'm not sure about-"

Luke's phone ringing interrupted my imminent freakout, and he hooked my ankles together against his stomach before letting go with one hand to grab his phone. Pulling it out of his pocket, he stiffened a bit before picking up his pace.

"Shoot, we're late for dinner," Luke reported grimly, slipping the phone back in his pocket and gripping me tighter as he started jogging down the last leg of sidewalk.

He still hadn't put his pants back on.

 **A/N: As always, thank you so much for your support! I love sharing my writing with such wonderful readers; it's much more rewarding than I expected.**


	12. I'll Take Parenting 101 for 300, Alex

**Reminder: The order of the townhouses from left to right, if you're facing them from the street, is Headquarters (Owen, Sean, "Sang,") Shangri-La (Victor, Kota, Nathan, Gabriel,) and Siberia (Silas, North, Luke.)**

 **Chapter Twelve: I'll Take "Parenting 101" for 300, Alex**

A week later, I found myself snuggled against Sean on the couch in Siberia's TV room. It was a lazy Sunday morning, and we all had the day off. I'd had another visit with Dr. White on Wednesday without any surprises, and a mission with Kota and Nathan just last night. We retrieved some important financial documents, but it ended up taking longer than we expected and I was still dozing off on the couch. Sean's chest made a very comfortable pillow.

"I disagree. How would the baby activate it?" Kota's voice argued from the floor, and I peeked open my eyes to see his own lovely green ones narrowed at Luke.

"Easy! Just press the button," Luke shrugged, like the answer was obvious.

"And the baby will just magically know to press the button whenever his or her diaper needs to be changed?" Nathan questioned from his spot on the recliner behind Kota's spot on the carpet.

"Well, we'll make it light up different colors and make sounds. The rugrat will learn in no time," Luke answered dismissively as the rest of us laughed.

"Luke, the baby will be pressing the button all the time if you make it attention-grabbing," Victor huffed, rolling his eyes playfully when he saw me watching him. I nudged him gently with my toe, but he just grabbed my foot before scooting closer to me and Sean on the couch.

"And we only want the little bugger to press it when he shits," Gabriel added helpfully.

"All of you are completely missing the point," Sean sighed, my body moving with his chest as I leaned against it. "It's not about the logistics of a diaper-changing-robot. It's about the bond you form with your child when you change their nappy. The personal interaction, the build of trust, and the love. Replacing this basic human action with a robot could be devastating to the infant's development."

"I'm assuming we can put your name down on the rotation for all Code Browns, then?" Silas asked with a hint of teasing.

"Now don't go putting words in my mouth," Sean chortled goodnaturedly. "But yes, I'll use any chance I can get to bond with our baby."

His words were followed by what could've been called a respectful silence, and I turned to place a tender kiss on Sean's chest as his palm rubbed up and down my back.

"Fine, no diaper-changing-robot then," Luke sighed dejectedly with a frown. "It was just an idea."

"I liked it, too," Gabriel muttered loyally from beside him on the floor, turning back to his laptop and typing away on it.

"Are you still looking up ways to get the robot to work?" Victor asked skeptically. "Sean just said-"

"No shit, I heard him," Gabriel stuck his tongue out, eyes still glued to the screen. "I'm going back to the trivia that Kota and I were doing before all you goons woke up."

"Trivia?" I echoed, my curiosity piqued, and I did my best to keep my eyes open and awake. "What kind? I'm in!"

"Baby trivia, Trouble," Gabriel smirked, tapping his nose lightly. " _All_ things baby-related. Kota wanted to be tested on everything he's been reading so far, but we're also going over all those fun and useless facts."

"Sean, I also wanted to ask if Dr. White had any books for us?" Kota asked hopefully. "I've been through the ones I downloaded already, and I'm looking for more."

"You've been through seventeen pregnancy books?" North asked in disbelief. I turned towards where he was leaning against the wall, both arms crossed, and the baffled look on his face was absolutely adorable. "Kota, it's not that hard. Sang's belly grows, a baby pops out, and we either feed, change, or burp it when it cries. Why the fuck do you need books to tell you to do that?"

"Are you serious?" Kota's jaw dropped slightly. "That's all you think is involved in Sang's pregnancy and caring for a baby?"

"Besides vitamins," North shrugged, looking serious. "What else do you need to know?"

"You better hope you're not alone with Sang when she goes into labor, North," Kota shot back, his tone bordering on something threatening. "If she-"

" _Yes_ , Kota, Dr. White has gotten some books together for us," Sean interjected when Kota narrowed his eyes at North. "They're in my office now, but I'll bring them home when I get a chance."

"Let's do the trivia," I suggested, smiling at everyone to try and diffuse the tension.

"Good idea, Trouble," Gabriel nodded in approval, straightening the laptop's screen while clearing his throat. "Alright, answer the shit you want to. Try not to fucking scream all at the same time, though."

"Are we keeping track of points?" Kota asked, pulling out his phone.

"Not this time, let's just enjoy the questions," Victor suggested, giving my foot a light squeeze.

"We all know you'd win, anyways," Nathan added to Kota when he frowned.

"Okay, first question!" Gabriel announced with a grin. "Babies are born without which body part? Options are kneecaps, elbows, tailbone, or shoulder blades."

"Elbows!" Luke exclaimed excitedly.

"I'm going with tailbone," Gabriel said warily. "I mean, babies have such big and cushy butts. Maybe it's 'cause they don't have a tailbone yet?"

"I'm not sure if I should guess this one," Sean whispered in my ear while the others kept calling out answers. "I learned it in med school. It probably wouldn't be fair to outshine everyone, right?"

"Probably not," I whispered back conspiratorially. "But that doesn't mean you can't whisper it to me, right?"

"Nice try, Pumpkin," Sean's lips moved against my ear before he planted a quick kiss on my cheek and leaned back against the couch.

"I'll guess kneecaps," I told Gabriel hesitantly. "I can't picture a baby without elbows, at least. Not sure about the other two."

"I'll say kneecaps, too," Kota nodded, sending me a secret smile.

"Anyone else guessing?" Gabriel asked, looking around the group. "No? Okay, and...Sang and Kota were right! It's kneecaps."

"Dang it!" Luke pouted, slumping down to lay on the carpet.

"Alright, next. How many hours does a newborn sleep in a 24 hour period?" Gabriel asked.

"Eight hours," Silas's voice boomed from across the room with a nod.

"Twelve hours," Owen guessed from his armchair beside the couch, his expression thoughtful.

"Ten hours," I guessed, figuring picking something in the middle of their answers was a good strategy.

"Five hours!" Luke guessed excitedly. "That's why parents are always sleep deprived."

Sean's chest vibrated with chuckles beneath my head.

"Sixteen hours," Kota answered confidently.

"Well, damn. It is sixteen," Gabriel said with a tone of awe, eyes flying across the screen as he read. "Kota really did his homework."

"Sixteen hours?" Nathan echoed in disbelief as my own jaw dropped. "That's twice what we're supposed to sleep for."

"Well, fuck. That makes things easy for us," Gabriel's smile grew. "The little bugger is gonna sleep for over half a day?"

"Now, boys, that doesn't mean the baby sleeps for sixteen hours in a _row,_ " Sean explained with a smile. "Besides, it's just when the baby is a newborn, which is typically the first 28 days after birth."

"Okay, Doc, that's enough reason and logic for today," Luke joked with a smile. "What's next, Gabe?"

"Hmm, let's see. Okay, I got another one," Gabriel grinned, snickering for a second before clearing his throat. "Damn, this is good. Okay, in Turkish tradition, a pregnant woman is _not_ allowed to do any of the following except..."

"What? Do what?" Luke prodded, licking his lips in anticipation.

"I'm getting to it, damn," Gabriel smirked, turning back to his laptop screen. "Alright. Chew gum, look at beautiful people, attend a funeral, look at a monkey, or eat fish. What is the only one she's _allowed_ to do?"

There was a beat of silence as I went through the list of options again in my head.

" _What?_ " Victor spluttered slightly from beside me, looking as baffled as I felt. "You mean pregnant women are only allowed to do _one_ of those things?"

"Do they get arrested if they do the others?" Nathan asked incredulously, sitting up from his relaxed position in one of the recliners.

"Beats me," Gabriel shrugged with a frown. "Come on, somebody guess!"

"I could see it being the chewing gum one," Kota offered thoughtfully, narrowing his eyes as he mulled over it. "Yes, I'll go with chewing gum."

"No way, it's the fish," Nathan countered. "They're not supposed to eat things like raw sushi, but cooked fish should be safe."

"The monkey thing, definitely the monkey," Gabriel declared confidently.

"I think they'd be allowed to look at beautiful people," Silas's deep voice volunteered, sending me a quick wink. "Can you imagine if _Aggele_ wasn't allowed to look at us during her pregnancy?"

I rolled my eyes but wasn't able to stifle the smile on my lips.

"Silas, this is where you're supposed to charm her and say she wouldn't be allowed to look in the mirror if that was a rule," Luke also rolled his eyes, wiggling across the floor on his back to give my toes a quick pat. I wiggled them as he scooted back to his spot.

" _Aggele_ already knows she's beautiful," Silas shrugged nonchalantly, a sly smile slipping onto his face. "But it doesn't hurt to remind her that we are, too."

"Like I could ever forget," I mumbled, but from Silas's widening grin and Sean's vibrating chest I knew they heard it. "I think it might be the monkey, though. There could be some health reason for the gum and fish, but I have no idea about the funeral or beautiful people."

"North?" Gabriel prompted, turning towards the quiet man leaning against the wall next to Silas. "What's your guess?"

"Funeral," North grunted, but didn't expand any further on his choice.

"Anyone else wanna guess? Vic?" Gabriel swung around to face our couch again as Victor's leg bounced against my thigh.

"Hmm, I'm really not sure," Victor frowned, looking down at his lap in thought. His fingers started dancing across his thighs, and I pictured him playing a melody. "I guess I'll go with fish."

"I believe it's the funeral," Owen volunteered with a decisive nod of his head, still leaning back ever so elegantly in his armchair. "If the woman's mother passes, she must be allowed at the funeral to grieve."

"One would think," Gabriel agreed lightly before biting his lip. "But...you're all wrong, except for...Silas!"

"σκατά ναι!" Silas cheered, pumping his fist into the air. Him and North exchanged a quick fistbump while I silently licked my wounds. It was a stupid question anyways.

"Alright, next one is: Babies recognize its mother's voice at birth. How long does it take to recognize its father's voice?" Gabriel asked, his voice trailing off quietly at the end of his question.

It was clear he hadn't pre-read this one, and we all sat in an uncomfortable silence while he cleared his throat.

"Fourteen days," Gabriel quickly read off the answer, eyes not moving from the screen as we all stayed silent. I wasn't sure what to say. "Moving on. What can a baby do up until seven months that an adult cannot?"

"Lick its elbow!" Luke called out without waiting for Gabriel to list the options.

"No, but I guess we're going blind on this one. No options," Gabriel grinned, looking up from his screen.

"Um, stick its tongue up its nose?" Nathan guessed, shrugging.

"Nah, I can still do that," Luke grinned proudly, but Gabriel cuffed him across the head when he started to demonstrate.

"Seven months," Sean hummed thoughtfully, his chest rising and falling soothingly beneath my head.

"Yeah, you might now this one, Sean," I realized, tilting my head back to smile up at him as he beamed back at me. "From all your time watching the babies."

"You'd think I would, Pumpkin," Sean frowned slightly. "Maybe I should've entered pediatrics. I'd like to say that it's something to do with their metabolisms and breaking down food."

"Little too technical, Doc," Gabriel snorted, shaking his head and shaking one of his feet against my toes playfully. "It's actually that they can breathe and swallow at the same time."

"Damn, imagine the blowjobs if Sang could still-" Luke started to say before Nathan leapt off his recliner and landed on Luke, knocking the air out of him. I forced myself not to hide my face in Sean's neck, but my eyes suddenly found my clasped hands incredibly interesting. North and Silas were mumbling in Greek, and Gabriel was trying to contain his snickers, but from Victor's throat clearing I knew his face was probably just as red as mine. I wondered if he was remembering Friday night, too.

"That's enough," Owen's voice cut through the commotion like a knife.

"Oh, come on. You know you were wondering the same thing," Luke's muffled voice cried from beneath Nathan's armpit. I risked a peek to see him trapped beneath Nathan and Gabriel on the floor.

I sneaked another glance at Owen to see him looking at the dogpile in slight exasperation, but he also didn't deny Luke's comment which did nothing to help my blush.

"Careful, Pumpkin," Sean murmured against the top of my head, his arms tightening around my waist. "You might burn me if your face gets any hotter."

"Oh, shush," I admonished softly, poking him in the side and giggling when Sean flinched back.

"The answer makes sense," Kota nodded, and it took me a moment to figure out he was talking about the trivia question. From his pinched eyebrows it seemed like he was kicking himself for not knowing and I had to stifle a giggle. "It explains why infants can breastfeed for so long. I always assumed they just stopped swallowing and took a moment to breathe in between suckling."

Kota's observations were met with a heavy silence as we all stared back at him. I squirmed uncomfortably at the word _suckling._ The idea of a baby drinking out of my...I didn't want to think about that.

"Why were you even thinking about that in the first place?" North grimaced, shuddering against the wall he was leaning on.

"It was in one of my books," Kota defended hotly, ducking his head before I could see the blush rush up to his cheeks. "I'm just trying to be prepared for Sang."

"Nobody is allowed to make fun of Kota for his research," Sean admonished gently with a smile. "And he's on the right track. I believe this also relates to the air bubbles and why babies need to be burped after drinking."

"Just imagine if we could swallow and breathe at the same time," Nathan said thoughtfully. "Dinner would be over in seconds."

"Don't say that," I pouted, narrowing my eyes at him in warning. "I love our meals together. Don't you dare talk about shortening them."

"Well maybe it would leave more time for talking, then?" Nathan offered, smiling sheepishly back at me.

"We love family meals, too, Pookie," Sean cooed quietly, planting a kiss atop my head. "As thrilling as actually inhaling your food sounds, you know we wouldn't trade our quality family time for it."

"Although, is _one_ little TV dinner every once in awhile really too much to ask for?" Luke butted in hopefully from the floor, his wide, expectant eyes gazing up at me.

"Lucian, we already tried that. Remember?" North barked from across the room. "You're the one who set up 'Mordor Mondays' where we watched portions of _Lord of the Rings_ over dinner every Monday."

"Until Kota cancelled them!" Luke accused, sending a quick glare to Kota, who simply rolled his eyes.

"Luke, you threw your mashed potatoes at the screen when Sang said she thought Aragorn would make a handsome king," Kota shook his head tiredly, probably because they'd already discussed this a handful of times.

"Legolas is better," Luke muttered bitterly, scooting on the carpet so his back was to Kota as he pouted. "And way more handsome. I never liked mashed potatoes, anyways."

"Can we get back on the subject?" Gabriel interjected, giving Luke a pointed look. "Like how our baby could start a world record for chugging milk!"

"Jesus Christ," Sean murmured against the top of my head before nuzzling his face down to tickle my ear with a whisper. "Pookie, please make them stop."

"You know there's nothing I can do, Sean," I laughed, squirming away from his ticklish breath and sending him a warm smile. "Sometimes you just need to let them be."

"Next question?" Silas asked smoothly, cutting through the boys' guesses on how much milk the baby would be able to chug in one minute.

"Right," Gabriel nodded, grabbing his laptop back up and clicking the mouse a few times. "What is the average number of diapers that a newborn goes through during a day?"

"Ten," Kota answered immediately with a nod.

"Ten?" I choked out on a laugh, turning to look at Kota. "No way! That's way too many. I'm going to say...two or three."

"Three diapers, Sang Baby?" North asked with a grin, raising one of dark eyebrows at me. It was unfair that an eyebrow could be so attractive. "Even I know that babies piss and shit more than that."

"North, will you ever manage to clean up your language in front of Sang?" Owen asked with more than a hint of exasperation. I frowned when I saw his complexion looked a little washed out. "I'm not asking for much, and we let a lot slide. There's no need to be so crude at this moment."

"Stop trying to limit us!" Gabriel snapped playfully, sticking his tongue out at Owen.

"I'm not trying to limit you," Owen denied patiently with a slight sigh, bringing a hand up to rub his temple. "Mr. Coleman, I simply-"

"Owen, did you just 'Mr. Coleman' me?" Gabriel asked incredulously as my own eyebrows skyrocketed. It'd been years since Owen had used surnames personally amongst our family.

"I apologize, Gabriel. It's been a long day," Owen excused himself, standing up from the chair. "In fact, I seem to have come down with a headache."

"Owen, are you okay?" Sean and I both asked at the same time, fumbling over each other to stand up and get to Owen.

"I'll be just fine," Owen promised, sending us a small smile as I reached him. Sean's arm snaked around me, planting itself against Owen's forehead to check for a fever. I reached out to brush his hair back, despite how flawlessly it was styled. My movements only resorted in messing it up, but Owen just smiled fondly at me before brushing both our hands away. "It's simply a headache, don't worry about me. I should be back up to par after a short nap."

"Do you want me to come with you?" I asked quietly as Sean reluctantly turned back to the couch.

"No need, love," Owen answered smoothly, leaning forward to kiss me on the forehead. "Today is the first family day we've been able to have in awhile, so I won't steal you away from everyone. I promise I'll be back before you know it."

"Well, I'll still miss you," I wrapped my arms around Owen's waist and leaned against his sturdy chest, ignoring the cooing and 'aww' noises the other boys were making as Owen embraced me.

"I'll miss you too, Owen!" Luke called in a high-pitched imitation of my voice, and I looked over my shoulder to see him batting his eyelashes at Owen. I rolled my eyes at him before reaching up and placing a kiss on Owen's jaw. He squeezed me once before letting go and heading out of the room in four swift strides. The door had barely clicked shut before hands grabbed my waist and I was pulled down into Nathan's lap.

"Do you think you'll be able to survive without your Knight in Shining Armani for a little while, Peanut?" Nathan asked teasingly, leaning back in his chair as I got comfortable in his arms.

"I'm just worried about him," I defended, looking away from the closed door and trying not to pout. I wasn't spoiled enough that I didn't enjoy being with the eight other boys at once, but the time with all ten of us was _precious_. Besides, something was clearly bothering Owen and I was too curious not to find out.

"We know," Gabriel huffed without looking up from his laptop screen. "Can we get back to the trivia now, though?"

"What was the question, again?" Victor asked with a frown.

"What is the average number of diapers that a newborn goes through during a day?" Gabriel repeated. "Kota said ten, and Sang said two or three."

I frowned, remembering that North scoffed at my answer. I snuck a glance at him, but him and Silas were whispering back and forth.

"I'll say seven," Victor decided. "Wait, no. Eight."

"Mark me down for fifteen," Luke declared, slowly making a snow angel against the carpet. Kota scooted out of his way, but Gabriel just let Luke's foot knock against his leg.

"I'll say eleven," North answered, and Silas nodded in agreement.

"Hmm, this is a toughie," Sean remarked from the couch. I turned slightly in Nathan's arms to see him, and he was rubbing his jaw thoughtfully. "I once had a nurse tell me one of their babies was on her twentieth diaper change for the day."

 _What?_

"I'm going to assume that was an extreme, though," Sean muttered, almost to himself. "Put me down for fourteen."

Twenty diapers? This was insane.

Surely that wasn't normal.

Right?

"Okay. Well, the answer is...," Gabriel drummed his fingers playfully against his thighs, jolting forward to catch the laptop when it started slipping off his knees. "Eight to twelve diapers! So most of you got it."

"Eight to twelve?" I squeaked in surprise. "In _one_ day?"

"Hmph, lower than I expected," Sean frowned.

"Lower? That's insane!" I cried, trying to keep my jaw from dropping to the floor.

"It's actually quite normal, Sang," Kota reasoned, using a hand to push his glasses up. "With such small but fast metabolisms, plus the amount of times they eat and drink per day, it adds up."

I had no idea.

"Don't worry about it, Sang," Nathan tried to reassure bring, bringing my pointer finger up to nibble lightly on. "These are all things you'll learn from experience."

"But all of you knew," I pouted, feeling slightly crummy and very unqualified. "You at least knew it was more than _three_."

"And now you know as well, Pumpkin," Sean smiled reassuringly. "Next question, Gabe?"

The questions continued, and while most were fun or quirky, I found myself thrown for a loop whenever a practical question came up. I had no idea about formulas, which way a car seat should face for infants, the reasons a baby might curl their toes, or how long babies will eat mushed up food from a jar.

Didn't they eat Cheerio's?

And apparently eating yams increases your chances of having twins.

I was doomed.

Thirty minutes later, and I was feeling even less prepared for this baby. The boys were getting a lot of questions right, and if we were keeping score I'm positive I'd be miles behind.

"Okay, here's another one," Gabriel laughed, smacking away the pillow that Nathan had thrown at him for making a joke about breastfeeding. "When can a baby start taking baths in a tub?"

"Is this a trick question?" North asked suspiciously, moving forward to lean against the back of an empty armchair.

"Nope, not a trick," Gabriel denied with a quick shake of his head, causing a few locks of hair to fall across his forehead before he swept them back.

"Is it about the difference between a bath in the sink and a bath in the tub?" Kota asked with interest.

"Nah, I think it's just the difference between like a sponge bath and actually putting the baby into the water," Gabriel answered after looking over the question again.

"In that case, I'll say a month," Kota answered.

"Mark me down for two months before using a tub," Victor added.

"I'll say right after birth," I responded, thinking it through. "Yes, after they're born. I mean they just spent all that time in the womb, and some babies are born in bathtubs. They're used to the water."

"I'm going with a few days after birth," Luke piped up. "People are probably worried about the baby's soft spot getting knocked against the tub or something."

"Anyone else want to guess?" Gabriel said, typing away on his keyboard.

"I'll say after the umbilical cord falls off," Sean answered with a sneaky smile, and I saw Kota lightly facepalm.

"Shoot, I forgot about that!" Kota groaned quietly.

"Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!" Gabriel announced, looking up at Sean. "Correct, it's after the umbilical cord falls off. Which, according to this article, is between ten to fourteen days after birth."

"What do you mean?" I asked in confusion. "I thought the umbilical cord is cut off right after the baby is born."

"The cord is clamped and cut; you're correct," Sean nodded, leaning forward on the couch so his elbows rested on his knees. "But there's a stub that remains up to fourteen days after birth."

"So I could've hurt our baby if I gave them a bath before it fell off?" I asked uneasily, swallowing to try and wet my dry throat.

"Pumpkin, breathe, you haven't done anything wrong," Sean assured me softly as Nathan ushered me to lean fully against him, his strong arms wrapping around me in comfort.

"But I will!" I argued, feeling the involuntary tears start to pool in my eyes. "I don't know any of this stuff, and I'm bound to mess up everything!"

"Sang, stop it right now," Luke ordered, shuffling over to sit at mine and Nathan's feet. I nuzzled my face further against Nathan's neck, but leaned down enough that I could see Luke's imploring face. "You're not the only one that's been missing questions. Victor thought the baby would be safe in a minivan's trunk, and-"

"Hey, don't bring me into this!" Victor insisted.

"You're the only new mother here, Sang," Kota chimed in as I sniffled. "So you're only noticing the ones you get wrong. We've been getting plenty wrong as well, but since there's nine new dads you're just focusing on the ones of us who get it correct."

"I just don't feel ready for this at all," I admitted quietly, trying not to sound like a whiny little brat as Nathan's calloused thumb wiped away the few traitorous tears that had fallen. "I'm ten weeks pregnant now, and my first trimester is almost over! The rest is going to fly by, and I don't even know if I'm doing anything correctly now."

"Sang baby," North's gruff voice cooed uncharacteristically as I peeked out from my hiding place. He was crouching down in front of the recliner, and he placed a warm, comforting hand on my knee. "There is no one we would rather do this with. You could've studied a hundred books with Kota, gone to fifty baby classes, and had ten younger siblings to practice on yourself, but we would still choose the Sang you are _right now_ to have this baby with. With your heart and your pure intentions, this kid is destined to be the most loved little ankle-biter to ever be born."

"Stop, Northy-poo, you're gonna make me cry," Luke's voice trembled dramatically as I blubbered with the tears that were now freely flowing.

"Sang," North sighed, opening his arms to me. I wiped my nose against Nathan's shirt, stammering an apology to him through my tears, then reached for North as he picked me up off Nathan's lap and carried me to the empty armchair. "All you need to do is love this baby, Sang, which you already do. The rest will come in time."

I tried to stem my tears, scrubbing at the tear tracks on my cheeks and taking big gulps of air to recover while simultaneously trying not to melt into a puddle from North's words.

"It's not just you, Sang," North continued softly, his warm hands trailing up my arm, brushing my hair off my face, and doing anything he could to comfort me. "And we're not just a family, we're a team. All of us are in this together."

"And we're all going to mess up, Sang," Sean said knowingly from his spot on the couch. "Every single one of us is going to drop the ball more than once. But just think of all the good we're going to do. Everything we _do_ know and can teach this little munchkin."

"That's true," I admitted, feeling myself get a handle on my breathing, and my tears had slowed down as North's hand slid soothingly through my hair. Then his finger got caught in one of my tangles, and I snorted a laugh when he cursed. "Sorry, I guess I freaked out...again."

"Get used to it, Pookie," Sean stated with a wink. "You have over six months ahead of you with unpredictable hormones."

"Nu uh, we're not blaming this on the hormones!" Gabriel argued, leaning back to prop on his elbows. "You can't give a chick an excuse to get all emotional whenever she wants. Next thing you know, one of us will forget to leave the seat down and she'll have a get-out-of-jail-free card to slap us and throw a tantrum."

"Gabe," Kota said warningly before turning to face me. "You may not see it now, Sang, but that's just because it's so scary. We can see just how amazing of a mother you're going to be, with or without the technical knowledge. Besides, I think I'm learning enough of that for all of us."

"Hold on, I have an idea," Sean exclaimed proudly, a grin spreading across his face as he looked over at me and hopped off the couch. "Just sit tight, Pumpkin. I'm going to prove to you that you're going to be an amazing mother."

"How?" I asked skeptically, sliding off of North's lap when he patted my thigh. Surely Sean wasn't going to do some sort of medical test or take pictures of my brain again. "Are we going to babysit?"

"Oh, that'd be a good idea," Sean frowned thoughtfully, freezing mid step before he shook his head. "But this'll work, too. _And_ it'll be fun!"

"Is this going to involve a mess?" Kota asked suspiciously from the floor.

"Not if we do it correctly," Sean said to reassure him, but it obviously didn't work. "Pookie, could you go wake Owen up for this? He won't want to miss it."

"I'll see if he's feeling better," I answered, heading to the TV room's door. "But if he's still not feeling well, I'll let him keep sleeping."

"Fair enough, now hop to it!" Sean said, patting me on the bum as I walked by. I gave him a sharp look, but simply ruffled Luke's hair as I walked by him towards the door. Hopping over Gabriel's leg when he kicked it out in my path, the last thing I heard Sean say before I slipped out of the room had me a little worried.

"Kota, did you get any eggs at the grocery store yesterday? We'll need ten."

 **A/N: Hehehehe. Everyone know what's coming? Any feedback on the chapter? I love hearing back from everyone, and questions are always welcome! If something didn't make sense, lemme know.**

 **σκατά ναι! = Fuck yeah!  
**


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Scrambled

**A/N: Get comfortable, this is a long one.**

Chapter Thirteen: Scrambled

Tiptoeing towards the bed, which was almost as debonair as the man currently lying in it, I paused to take in Owen's sleeping form. Even at his most vulnerable, Owen resembled a dozing panther. His face was pinched slightly in concentration, and those arm muscles were taught beside his head.

He was also shirtless, lying on his back with the sheet gathered around his waist, and my mouth watered slightly at the feast before me.

 _Not the time, Sang,_ I scolded myself as I noiselessly reached his side of the bed. The curtains weren't drawn, so only a sliver of sunlight was peeking through, and the only audible sounds were Owen's deep breaths as he slept.

Then I remembered Owen's pale face earlier, and I thought back to my own suspicions of why he's been acting weird lately. I just prayed I was wrong. Owen's sleeping form was it's own motivation, and I took a deep breath before stealthily climbing onto the bed beside him. When his breathing didn't change, I gently swung a leg over him until I was straddling his hips. The motion had him shifting awake as I rested my hands on his firm, warm stomach.

"Sang," Owen acknowledged groggily, rubbing his eyes before collecting his glasses from the nightstand. I stayed perched on his hips as his glasses slid into place, watching those grey eyes as I came into focus for him.

"What's wrong?" I asked softly, my fingers tracing lazily against the indents and peaks of his abdomen.

"It's only a headache, Sang," Owen explained sleepily, shifting slightly beneath me and bringing his hands up to rest on my thighs. "Nothing to worry over."

"Don't lie to me, Owen," I chided, unable to help the frown from forming. It wasn't just a headache, and he'd been acting a little off for two weeks now.

He didn't deny it, and we sat there in silence until it turned uncomfortable.

"What's going on, Owen?" I sighed, hoping my suspicion was wrong. "Is it...is it the baby?"

"What makes you think-"

"Because It's been two weeks since we found out, and you haven't...you didn't even...," I couldn't continue with my throat closing up like this, and I had to consciously tell my fingers to unclench so I wouldn't end up drawing my own blood.

I hadn't planned on crying.

But I'd been avoiding this talk since I'd told the boys I was pregnant, and whenever a day got particularly quiet or things slowed down, it was all I could think about. Owen's reaction.

"I didn't what?" Owen asked in growing alarm, leaning up in a hurry and I slid down to sit on his thighs. I tried to calm myself, but he obviously saw my distress.

"You didn't smile," I whispered, my voice still managing to crack halfway through.

"I didn't...smile?" Owen repeated slowly, sounding more confused than before.

"When I told you I was pregnant, you didn't smile," I managed to stammer through my quickly closing throat, belatedly wondering if now was actually a good time to talk about this.

"Sang, I don't understand where this is coming from, darling," Owen sounded lost, bringing his hands up to grasp my waist. "We spoke that day. It was all good things, and while I don't recall if I smiled or not-"

"You didn't. You've gotten a lot looser with your smiles, Owen," I explained hesitantly, taking a step back from the main issue here. "Once everyone graduated and the Academy started to trust our decision, you relaxed the tiniest bit and began to have more fun with us. You didn't hide behind your lips barely twitching up a millimeter, and you weren't afraid to let us see more of you."

"That's true, but I'm not fully understanding what's upsetting you right now," Owen replied with a shake of his head, expression just as puzzled as before. "It's because I didn't smile when you told us?"

"Well...yes. I can count on one hand the number of times you've full on grinned at me," I admitted with a slight huff of frustration, licking my lips as I decided it was time to just lay everything out on the table. Maybe he would understand if he knew what was going through my head. "Your millimeter smile is beautiful, and I treasure your full smile. But, Owen, when you grin...you hold nothing back. There's no mask, no proprietary, no shadows. Only one _very_ handsome man, with bright eyes and visual proof that he does in fact have molars. With nothing but love, happiness, and laughter shining through his eyes. Nine _years_ , Owen, and I can count the number of times I've seen that grin on one hand."

"Sang, darling, I-" Owen grasped for words in a way that I knew he still didn't get it. And that's what had my eyes watering, the way he looked so desperate to stop my sadness. Was I allowed to blame this on the hormones, as well? "No, darling, don't cry. Please, Sang. I don't know what I-"

"No, it's not your fault," I shook my head, disgusted at myself when Owen started tenderly wiping away the tears that had started to fall down my cheeks. "It's mine. It was so stupid of me to think that...that you would..."

"You're not stupid, and you know that I will do everything in my power to meet every single one of your expectations," Owen whispered soothingly, tucking a few locks of hair behind my ears as I tried to blink away the tears. "Now tell me what you were expecting."

"In my head...I was so...God, I was so excited to see you grin like that when I told you we were having a baby," I choked out, hastily wiping away the waterworks making a wet trail down my face. "I was scared, but I thought you'd be happy."

"Sang, darling, I was happy. I _am_ happy" Owen assured me incredulously as I dipped my head down to rest on his welcoming shoulder. I was tiring myself out with all this crying. "You didn't think I was?"

"I didn't know what to think," I answered, my head shaking against his strong shoulder as his arms encircled me. "You said you were content, but that didn't mean-"

"Sang, I'd just found out I was going to be a father," Owen interrupted me, his fingers flexing against my back. "You know I sometimes tend to shut down when I'm overwhelmed, and-"

"That's what I thought at first," I took my own turn to interrupt, sniffling back what was hopefully the last of my tears. At least for now. "But, Owen, it's been two weeks. And we've barely spent any time together during it, aside from doctor visits. It's quieter than usual when we're alone together, too."

"I've had quite a bit on my mind," Owen admitted grimly, his cheek leaning down to caress the top of my hair.

"And I haven't?" I snorted, pulling back from his shoulder to see those bright, grey eyes staring back at me warily. "We're in this _together_ , Owen."

"Always," Owen affirmed confidently. "I'm here, Sang. There's nowhere I'd rather be than with you."

"And you're not freaking out about the baby?" I pressed hesitantly, sure there was some kind of catch. Then I stifled a smile at how ridiculous my words were. "Because I am. Freaking out is a nice way of putting it."

"No, I'm not 'freaking out,'" Owen smiled, gracing me with that warm feeling. Content. "I know we have a difficult road ahead of us, Sang. I know what you're worried about, and we'll discuss everything. The legalese, the worries, the shift in our family. If the Toma team can do it, we'll more than manage. If anything, there's no way North will let Mr. Ravenstahl show him up like that."

A laugh bubbled up my throat, and I shook my head at the silly man in front of me.

"You promise you're okay?" I pressed, trying my best not to sound like a nagging wife, but Owen's lips just twitched into another small smile.

"I have a lot on my mind," Owen explained, somehow managing to pull me even closer against his chest. I hook my ankles together on the bed behind his back. "But most of it is all good things. It's like my mindset before a mission, making sure we're all prepared. Taken care of. Ready. Which we're not yet, so I can't let myself relax."

"At this rate, you won't be relaxing for another seven months, though," I reasoned, bringing my hands up to rest on his tense shoulders. I let my fingers move, starting an impromptu massage as Owen let out a sigh. "And then what? After the baby is born, there's no way you'll be relaxing. Will our baby's entire life be one giant mission?"

"Sang," Owen chuckled, closing his eyes as I moved my massage up to his neck muscles. "One day we'll have to talk about my worries as well."

"Your worries?" My fingers froze on his neck as my heart stuttered. "Ones that are different from mine?"

"Similar, but exceedingly different at the same time," Owen breathed, his arms tightening around my waist.

"What are you worried about?" I asked softly after a loaded pause. Owen's eyes opened, and my heart cracked at the shadows in them.

"That I'll end up being just like my father," Owen admitted so quietly, I almost didn't hear it.

"Owen," I gasped, my hands moving to grip his shoulders so tightly I'm surprised he didn't flinch. But his gaze had lost some focus, and I wasn't sure how much of Owen was really here with me. "Owen, you will _never_ be that man. You never have been that man, and I can't even put into words how different you two are. If you think-"

"Like I said," Owen interrupted me gently, blinking until the grey eyes looking back at me held nothing but love and exhaustion in them, "we'll save the worries for another time. Everything will work out."

"Owen, you're the strongest person I've ever met," I implored urgently, internally ordering myself not to start crying again. This was not the time to start blubbering. "You're kind, brilliant, thoughtful, chivalrous, _remarkable_. You're sweet and intense and clever-"

"Sang," Owen laughed, cutting me off with a soft, chaste kiss. "As much as I adore hearing your shining and clearly biased opinion of me, I'd much rather leave this discussion for a later date. Please?"

"Fine," I muttered reluctantly, though I felt a smidgen better when he pressed his lips against mine a second time. "But don't think you can hide from me, Owen Blackbourne."

"Wouldn't dream of it, wife of mine," Owen replied against my lips before I wrapped my arms tightly around him, resting my head against his shoulder.

We sat there for a while, clinging to each other while the only sound in the room was our breathing moving in tandem. I nuzzled his neck, and he slipped his fingers beneath my shirt to rest on bare skin, but otherwise we just enjoyed each other and the quiet.

"You said my smile and grin are different," Owen said out of the blue, breaking the comfortable silence. "What did you mean by that?"

"You don't know?" I blurted out in disbelief, pulling back to look at him. This brilliant, stupid man really didn't know what effect he had on the world.

"Tell me about a time you've seen me grin. Maybe I'll remember the difference then," Owen remarked thoughtfully, scooting us both back until he was resting against the headboard.

This was bound to be embarrassing for me, but at this moment I'd give Owen anything he asked me for.

"Remember the first time we hugged?" I asked, thinking back to the music room at Ashley Waters. It was the day Owen completely blew my mind by admitting he had feelings for me. I'm surprised I didn't have a heart attack. "When you set me back down on the ground, and I was _so_ nervous to look up at you because I'd just launched myself at you like a rabid koala...but then I did look up, and it was the very first time I saw your grin. I was blown away. I mean, I had no idea you had _dimples!_ "

"I wish you knew what was going through my head then," Owen murmured, smoothing my hair down with both hands as his eyes held mine captive. "I just had this little blonde girl throw herself into my arms, declaring she returned my feelings. After holding her for _much_ longer than was proper, I reluctantly let her go only to see the most captivating blush grace her features. All I could think about was that I'd never get my heart back, and I didn't mind one bit."

I swear I could've melted into a puddle on the spot, and it took my brain a moment to remember how to function.

"You had mine, too," I whispered. "I think Kota stole it that first night in the rain, and you all divvied it up at a family meeting or something."

"Or maybe Max ate it," Owen chuckled, breaking the spell surrounding us.

"Owen," I giggled at his ridiculousness, or maybe at how uncharacteristic it was.

"Despite not wanting to risk your emotional state, I'd love to hear the other times," Owen prodded softly, his fingers threading through my loose hair until he tugged my head back gently. "If you remember."

"Like I could forget," I snorted a laugh, trying to shake my head at him, but his grip in my hair held me stationery. When my eyes collided with his molten steel, I felt paralyzed for an entirely different reason. "April Fool's Day two years ago."

"Okay, that's enough on that one," Owen jumped in immediately, narrowing his eyes at me as I burst into laughter. "Moving on, what's next?"

I couldn't blame him for not wanting to remember that day. Luke, Gabriel, and I had joined forces, and it took us four months alone to gather enough pine cones to pull it off. Looking back, I know Owen had probably only grinned because I'd been so proud of myself.

"Fine," I rolled my eyes, ignoring his mock-glare as his grip on my hair tightened. "Next was when you proposed to me."

"When we proposed?" Owen repeated, eyebrows skyrocketing. "But that was an utter disaster."

"No! It was so sweet, the epitome of romance. All of us together, and the speeches you boys made...," I sighed happily just remembering it. Apparently they'd fought for ages on how, when, and where, but I couldn't have been happier when they surprised me at the Diner. "And then the fire sprinklers went off from all the candles Gabriel set up. Silas was the first one to slip on the wet tile, knocking against the table and sending that beautiful cake flying straight into your face! It was priceless, Owen."

"Sometimes I wish your memory wasn't so impressive," Owen whispered, leaning forward until his lips ghosted against mine.

"As if I could forget the way your icing-covered face beamed at me in the madness. I was soaked through, trying to help Kota hold Max back from the fallen cake, but the moment I saw your grinning face, I was done for. An absolute goner. I hadn't even said 'yes' yet, and my side was getting a cramp from all of the laughing and crying I was doing, but you looked _so_ happy."

"I was happy," Owen murmured against my cheek, his lips trailing back and forth across my skin. "You've always made nothing but happy, darling. Always."

"It was an absolute mess," I continued, taking a moment to swallow as I felt myself glow from his words. "Gabriel spent hours getting the wet confetti out of my hair, and he didn't speak to Luke for a full week since he'd secretly rigged it in the ceiling."

"And the fourth time?" Owen pressed, his lips having made their way up further and he nibbled lightly on my earlobe.

"Remember the mission in Somalia?" I asked, fighting a smile as he leaned back to look at me.

"The one with the camels?" Owen asked wryly with a knowing look, his grip loosening on my hair.

"The one with the camels," I confirmed, biting my lip as he shook his head.

My phone startled us both, buzzing and lighting up from inside my shirt. Both our gazes turned to my chest as I slipped it out, barely managing to hold back my laughter at the mental mage of Owen riding a camel.

Gabriel: _What the fuck is taking so long?_

"Ah, we're supposed to meet everyone downstairs," I explained to Owen, sending him a sheepish smile as I slid off his lap and clamored off the bed. "I think we're going to play a game."

"A game?" Owen joined me, slipping his calloused hand into mine as we headed for the door. "It better not involve jello this time."

"I assure you, it does not involve jello," I smiled, before it dawned on me I didn't actually know what we were doing. "At least, I think it doesn't."

"Sang, wait," Owen stopped in his tracks, his hand tugging mine to a stop. "Was there a fifth time?"

"Yes," I answered hesitantly, trying to pull his hand forward but he was immovable. "I'll tell you later, though."

"Sang," Owen pressed warningly, and I looked over my shoulder at him with both a smile and a sigh.

"It was in the morning," I started explaining, my smile spreading as I remembered just how beautiful he looked that day. "The morning after we were... _together_ for the first time."

Owen's eyes darkened, two charcoals gazing at me with an intensity that brought me back to the very morning I spoke of. His free hand snaked around my waist as he stepped closer, his chest close enough to graze mine.

"I'd just woken up," I continued, my voice growing embarrassingly throaty as his head dipped down, only to stop less than an inch away from mine. "And you were looking at me in a way that made me feel both cherished and wholly inferior at the same time. Like I was prey, but killing me was the last thing on your mind."

"Ravishing you, on the other hand...," Owen trailed off, a slight smirk adorning his face and I huffed a breath.

"I had so many feelings rushing through me, and I'd never been very good at controlling myself when your attention was focused solely on me," I winced slightly at the reminder, recalling every cringeworthy moment I turned clumsy or my mouth lost its filter when Mr. Blackbourne zoned in on me. "So I blurted out the first thing that crossed my mind."

Owen's shoulders started shaking from silent laughter, and I knew he remembered as well. I moved my embarrassed gaze to his unshaven jaw just so I could continue.

"Tell me what you said," he chuckled, and I poked his side but he didn't even budge.

"You remember; don't be cruel. I said 'your penis was inside of me last night, Mr. Blackbourne,'" I muttered, closing my eyes as I remembered the mortification of that moment. "You just blinked at me, and my face was so red it's a miracle the rest of my body had any blood left."

"You were gorgeous," Owen whispered, planting a kiss on the corner of my mouth. "Albeit unpredictable."

"I was out of my depth," I countered, shaking my head with a reluctant chuckle. "You were leaning on your elbow, and I was actually proud of myself for how mussed your hair was. You stared at me for a full minute before your lips broke into that heartbreaking grin. I'd been so embarrassed, but seeing you with your dimples and us being tangled together in those soft sheets...I just ended up attacking you."

"That has to be the most memorable morning of my life," Owen replied, his grip tightening on me for a few long moments before letting go. "You had no idea how much your words affected me."

"Oh, I got the hint as soon as I jumped on you," I tried to muffle my giggles against my free hand as I started to head out of the room again. "Come on, I promised I'd bring you downstairs. Sean is planning something."

"And that's supposed to incentivize me to go?" Owen asked wryly, but he showed no resistance as we started down the stairs.

Excited voices traveled to our ears, and I realized the boys must have moved to Headquarters while I was upstairs.

Owen and I turned the corner from the foyer, hand in hand, when we saw all of them gathered around the kitchen island. It didn't take long for them to notice us, but Sean was the first to jump into action.

"Crying? Really, Owen?" He accused, making his way towards me until I was enfolded in his warm arms. I belatedly realized I should've washed my face or something before rejoining everyone. Sean dropped his voice down to a stage-whisper as I wrapped my arms around his waist. "You were up there for awhile, Pumpkin. We figured you'd look a little more _satisfied_ when you joined us again."

"Oh, shut up, Sean," Owen sighed, passing by to place a kiss on the back of my head before he let go of my hand and continued to the kitchen.

"You know, they call it 'afternoon _delight_ ' for a reason, Owen," Sean called after him, turning me so we could walk to the kitchen arm in arm. "That means the lady is supposed to _enjoy_ it."

"Don't tease him, Sean," I admonished with a smile, knowing Sean was doing this more for my benefit than to actually annoy Owen.

"Get over here, Trouble!" Gabriel ordered with a smile, nodding his head to a barstool as I slipped away from Sean and walked over. "We're dying to get started."

"What are we doing?" I asked curiously as I climbed onto the stool, remembering Sean saying something about eggs when I left the TV room earlier.

"We're about to prove that you're going to be a wonderful mother," Kota explained from the stool beside me, his sparkling green eyes warming me from the inside out.

"Unless this shit backfires, then we'll probably be holding you all day while you cry," Gabriel pointed out from my other side.

"Gabe!" Several of the boys warned amongst a few groans.

"What?" Gabriel asked defensively. "Oh, come on. Eggs are fucking fragile. This isn't exactly a foolproof test."

"Ignore him, Pumpkin," Sean waved a hand dismissively before turning to Kota. "How many eggs did you get at the grocery store yesterday, Kota?"

"Three dozen," Kota answered, nodding towards the refrigerator. "And they're all in this kitchen."

"Silas, could you please get out one dozen for us?" Sean asked, heading towards the front of the island so he could face the rest of us. Only North and Silas were behind him.

"Sure thing," Silas answered, only needing to take one step towards the refrigerator where I would've needed three. We all watched as he leaned in to grab the eggs, but I'm sure my gaze was the only one on his firm backside.

Unless Gabriel was checking the fit of his jeans or something.

"So, we just make sure the eggs don't crack?" Nathan asked curiously. "Is that the game?"

"That's the main objective, but there's a little more to it," Sean answered.

"Come on, that's too easy," Gabriel argued from beside me. "Give us a fucking challenge."

Silas turned from the refrigerator before fumbling slightly with the egg carton. It slipped from his grip, knocking dangerously back and forth between his hands before he miraculously caught it less than an inch before it hit the ground. My heart hammered at the sight, and I brought a hand up to rub soothingly against the spot.

"Yes!" Silas whooped in victory, fisting the carton and shoving it over his head in celebration.

Sean sighed.

"Easily, Silas!" Kota insisted. "You're supposed to be gentle with them."

"I am gentle with them," Silas scoffed, bringing the carton back down and handing it to Sean as gently as he could.

"Treating our babies like a football is not being gentle," Victor reasoned from his spot behind my stool.

"We'll just see who cracks one first," Silas responded, giving Victor a challenging glance.

"Boys," Sean started tiredly, opening the carton and examining its contents before looking back up at us. "This is supposed to be fun, not a competition. If anything, we're all working together."

"No, I think I like the idea of this being a competition," Nathan argued, stretching both arms above his head, and I took a moment to admire the way his workout shirt clung to both his arms and chest.

"You think you can beat a ninja, Fire-Crotch?" Luke taunted, flexing his own muscles at Nathan, and I stifled a giggle at how much smaller they were. Luke was almost painfully attractive, but he was definitely on the lean side. His arms were noodles compared to Nathan's.

"Fire-Crotch?" Nathan echoed the nickname, clearly insulted. "What the fuck do you mean by that?"

"Well, it's pretty obvious-"

"Congratulations, everyone!" Sean cut Luke off, gathering all of our attention. "We're about to have, um...two sets of quintuplets!"

"You mean we're about to have ten eggs?" North asked flatly.

"Fine, yes, take away my fun," Sean rolled his eyes, picking up two eggs. "Who wants the first one?"

"I'll go first," Kota offered, sliding off his barstool and heading around the island. Victor took his seat, and we watched Sean gently set the egg in Kota's upturned hands.

"Dakota Lee, you are now the proud father of a little boy!" Sean declared, beaming at the boy and his egg. "What are you going to name him?"

"I have to name him right now?" Kota asked, looking slightly panicked.

"Oh, come on," Victor grinned teasingly. "It's not like you haven't read two books on baby names already, right?"

Kota shot him a harmless glare before looking back at the egg cradled tenderly in his hands.

"It's a boy?" Kota seemed to ask himself before nodding. "I'll name him Max."

Some of the boys clapped while I stifled a laugh.

"You're naming him after your dog?" I asked, smiling.

"Mom let me name Max when I was smaller, and I really liked the name," Kota shrugged, taking his eyes off the egg for a moment to look at me. "Max was a really good dog, too."

"Alright, daddy, off you go," Sean ordered, shooing him away from the carton. "Next up?"

"I'll go," Nathan volunteered, stepping up from his spot beside the island.

"Nathaniel-"

"It's just Nathan," Nathan cut in with a raised brow.

"Jo _nathan_ -"

"Still just Nathan," Nathan sighed.

"Fire-Crotch Griffin, congratulations!" Sean announced over Nathan's mumbled curses. "You are the proud new father of...a boy!"

Nathan accepted the egg graciously, studying it for a moment before coming to his decision.

"Everyone, meet Donatello," he introduced us, holding the egg up se we could see. We all responded with hello's before Sean scooped out the next egg.

"Victor Morgan!" Sean beamed, bowing slightly towards the boy on my left. "Come on down."

"Boy or girl?" Victor asked curiously as he got down from the bar stool and walked around the island to join Sean.

"You are the proud new daddy of a sweet, little girl," Sean grinned, showing us all the egg before handing her to Victor. Victor's smile was threatening to break his face in half.

"A girl," he whispered, looking down at her fondly. My husband was looking at an egg _fondly._ This was the cupcake fiasco with Luke all over again. Was I destined to be jealous of food's effect on my boys? "I'm naming her Charlotte."

My ovaries seemed to pulse at the cuteness overload.

Victor reclaimed his seat beside me as Luke made a beeline towards Sean.

"You're already taken by her," I told Victor, observing the way he was holding his baby egg. He hadn't taken his eyes off of her yet.

"I'm imagining our own little princess," Victor explained, somewhat dreamily, as Sean held out the next egg. I spared another glance at Victor and our baby before turning towards the show.

"Lucian Taylor!" Sean announced, holding the egg in front of him in a way that looked slightly sacrilegious.

"Excuse me," Luke interrupted, clearing his throat pointedly. "I prefer to go by 'Lucian Taylor, Duke of La Academia, elder brother of young North Taylor.'"

"Fuck off," North grunted.

"I now pronounce you the new daddy of a baby boy!" Sean smiled, unruffled by the exchange.

"You sure there's not another one in there for me?" Luke asked curiously, trying to look around Sean's shoulder into the carton. "Maybe two? My swimmers are pretty powerful; I probably made triplets."

"And how would you know how powerful they are?" Silas asked doubtfully, but he sounded a little too curious for my liking.

"Easily. I threaten to hold them next to a running microwave for an hour if they don't practice swimming all the time," Luke answered calmly, accepting the single egg from Sean. "They're in tip-top shape."

"Just one for today," Sean explained. "Have you thought of a name?"

"Yeah, I want to name mine Voldemort," Luke answered readily.

"Shut the-" Gabriel exploded off his barstool, gaping at Luke. "Did you seriously just say his fucking name?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Kota cut in, leaning forward to see Gabe from his spot beside Victor. "Fear of a name only increases-"

"Shut up!" Gabriel yelled before turning back to Luke with a threatening finger pointed at him. "Don't you dare call your egg You-Know-Who."

"I wasn't going to call him You-Know-Who. I was going to call him Vol-"

"That's enough," North grunted from his spot leaning against the stove, eyes rolling towards the ceiling. "Pick a real name, Luke."

"Fine," Luke sighed, turning his egg over a few times as he studied it. "Thor, then."

"Please tell me you've always used a condom with Luke, Princess," Victor whispered from beside me. I offered him a sheepish smile, but I wasn't going to apologize for it.

"Alright, Silas. Ready to be a daddy?" Sean asked.

"Give me a girl, Doc," Silas ordered, stepping up to the island. "Another little blonde angel, just like her mother."

"It's not as fun for me if I don't get to surprise you with the gender," Sean frowned, his voice laced with a bit of whining.

"Just give it a sex change if it's a boy, Silas," Gabriel waved dismissively from beside me.

"I'm not getting our baby a sex change!" Silas argued hotly, turning on Gabriel.

"Woah, geesh!" Gabriel threw his hands up in surrender. "Give the man his angel, Doc."

"One little angel, coming right up!" Sean declared, plucking an egg out of the carton. "And what do you plan on calling this little slice of Heaven?"

"Shelly," Silas answered with a grin.

"Shelly?" I asked, a little confused. That wasn't what I was expecting from Silas.

"Yeah, what the fuck?" Gabriel muttered next to me.

"Because she has an eggshell," Silas beamed at me, waggling his big eyebrows playfully. I tried to stifle a giggle, but just shook my head at him.

"What would you really name her, Silas?" I pressed, licking my lips as I realized we'd have to pick a name for the real baby at some point. What if Luke actually liked the name Voldemort?

I shook it off; surely the other boys wouldn't let that happen.

"Alright," Silas sighed, looking so close to pouting I wanted to kiss him. He gazed intently down at the egg, lost in thought for a moment before his lips lifted into a soft smile. "Delphina. Her name is Delphina."

"Sure you don't want something more Greek, Silas?" North asked sarcastically.

"Alright, Owen!" Sean called, putting a stop to any impending arguments. "Step right up, brother-from-another-mother."

"You swore you'd never call me that again," Owen replied expressionlessly, stepping around the island until he stood next to Sean.

"I did?" Sean asked, morphing his face into a look of shock. "Surely you're mistaken. Maybe it was another painfully handsome doctor who had elderly female patients falling at his feet due to his effortless charm?"

"No, it was you," Owen answered flatly.

"Are you sure it wasn't a different delightfully attractive, yet endearingly lovable physician who-"

"I'd appreciate it if you would hand over my egg now, Sean," Owen interrupted, holding his hand out with the palm up.

"Fine," Sean sighed, placing the egg in Owen's hand with slightly more force than was necessary. "Good luck with your little _girl_ , Owen. Have fun telling her what a period is without my doctorly help."

"What are you naming her?" Kota asked Owen as Sean started to pout.

"Olivia," Owen answered easily, taking another look at the egg before moving to his spot beside Nathan.

"Little Livvie," Luke cooed, holding his egg up to face Owen's. "Meet Thor, the Norse god!"

"North?" Sean prompted lightly, holding out another egg.

"Yeah, yeah," North grunted, stepping up to join Sean at the counter.

"Northern Taylor!" Sean's voice boomed around the kitchen.

"It's just North-"

"In the interest of keeping us all sane, you are now the father of a strapping young lad!" Sean cut him off.

"Thank God," North sighed, accepting the egg in his large hand. Hands that looked much too rough for anything other than fistfights and playing with motorcycles. "His name is Jack."

"You named your egg after Jack Daniels, didn't you?" Nathan asked with a snicker.

"You got a problem with that?" North retorted, leaning back against the stove and placing Jack in his pocket. I wasn't sure if that was a good strategy.

"Gabriel, join me up here, will you?" Sean prompted, taking out another egg.

"About fucking time!" Gabriel grumped, hopping over his chair and strutting around the island. "What've you got for me?"

"Gabriel Coleman. Surprise, it's a boy!" Sean beamed, handing him the egg with a nod.

"Awesome," Gabriel grinned, tossing the egg up a few inches before catching it lightly.

"Careful!" Kota insisted, and I forced myself to relax as Gabriel smirked.

"Guys, meet 'Little Fucker,'" Gabriel announced, holding his egg up.

"You must be kidding," Victor groaned quietly from beside me.

"Nope, that's his name! Watch this," Gabriel said, beaming down at the egg. "Hey, you little fucker!"

We watched him yell at the egg, but I'm not sure what any of us were expecting. Then Gabriel's grinning face turned to the rest of us.

"See? It sounds awesome," he shrugged, moving back to his stool.

"On that note," Kota said, before turning to Sean and nodding.

"Well, as always, I saved the best for last," Sean winked at me. "Which means I'll wait my turn. Sang, you're up!"

A few boys voiced their annoyance at his teasing while I hopped off my stool and headed over to Sean.

"Just kidding, Pumpkin," Sean grinned, snatching up an egg. "I'll take my little girl next."

"You want a girl?" I asked, smiling at the thought.

"I want a girl, and a boy, then another girl, then two boys, then another-"

"Sean," Owen interrupted, clearing his throat. I felt slightly dizzy, but shook it off.

"Right, err, anyways," Sean coughed, holding his egg up. "Meet Sang Junior!"

" _Sean_ ," I shook my head amongst the boys' grumbling.

"She's going to grow up sweet and beautiful, just like her mommy," Sean cooed to the little egg.

"Or hard and boiled, like her brother," North's gruff voice traveled from behind Sean.

"Now for your turn, Pookie," Sean announced without acknowledging North's dig, picking the tenth egg out of his carton. "And since you're so special, not to mention you let me do dirty things to you, I'll even let you pick the gender!"

"Nepotism!" Luke accused hotly. "Or is it favoritism? Sexism?"

"That depends, do you let the doc do dirty things to you?" Gabriel asked him.

"Sean," I sighed at his inappropriate comment before the rest of his words caught up to me. "Oh, um, I don't want to pick."

"Really?" His eyebrows rose. "You don't have even a small preference? Or just want to pretend with a certain gender today?"

"No, I want you to choose," I insisted, holding my hand out for the precious egg.

"In that case, Sangrida Sorenson!" Sean announced to the room, holding up my egg. "You are now the proud mommy of a little baby girl! On one condition. You're not allowed to call her 'Sang Junior.'"

"That won't be a problem," I assured him quietly, waiting patiently until he placed the egg in my open palms. The shell was cool to my touch, and I immediately felt wholly unprepared. She was so tiny.

I was going to drop her.

"And what name do you bestow upon your firstborn egg?" Sean asked grandly, giving his own egg a small pat on the head.

"I'm going to name her...Emma," I decided, looking up from my egg to meet Silas's gaze.

"Emma the Egg?" He asked with a warm grin, and my own smile filled in.

"Yep," I chirped, cautiously walking back to my barstool as I held Emma securely in both hands.

"I think it's a cute name," Victor's eyes met mine, and I was delighted to see them set on a low simmer.

"Thank you," I whispered, my heart warming.

"Hey, _Aggele_. Why did the egg cross the road?" Silas asked with an expectant smile, grabbing my attention.

"Um, because he was being poached?" I guessed with a shrug, sending him a smile.

"Because he wasn't a chicken yet!" Silas's smile turned cheeky, and I just laughed.

"What's next?" Nathan asked with a questioning look at little Donatello.

"Well first we need to go over the rules," Sean proclaimed, tapping his fingers against the granite counter.

"Why don't we relocate to the couches?" Owen suggested. "Everyone can get comfortable."

"Thoughtful as ever, my friend," Sean nodded, shooing the rest of us. "Let's head to the couches, folks."

I dropped off my barstool, holding Emma close to my chest as I followed Kota towards the couches. He was holding Max at his side, grasped safely in one hand.

I had high hopes for our experiment. Maybe I would take great care of Emma, and it would put to rest to all of these worries that had been floating around inside of me.

Kota and I had almost reached the nearest couch when the distinct sound of an egg splattering against the hardwood floor had me stopping in my tracks.

"Oh, crap."

 **A/N: Thought I'd share a little insight to writing this chapter, as well. In case anyone had doubts about my questionable mental state, rest assured: I'm insane.**

 **Me:** So, big plans for this chapter! They're going pretend the eggs are babies, and we'll have so much fun. I've already written out a list of eight different egg jokes Silas could use.

 **Fingers in Charge of Typing:** But wait, isn't Sang supposed to wake Owen?

 **Me:** Yeah, sure. But that won't take long. Maybe a paragraph or two. Why, did you plan on writing another 8 page makeout scene?

 **Fingers:**...Maybe. But no, I was actually referring to how weird he acted last chapter.

 **Me:** I was gonna save that talk for later, like before they go to bed. Maybe a few more observations of his weird mood, but this chapter is supposed to be all about _fun_!

 **Fingers:** I'm going to have Sang bring it up.

 **Me:** Fine. But then let's go back downstairs-

 **Fingers:** Sang is gonna cry when they talk about it.

 **Me:** No, she just cried last chapter!

 **Fingers:** Cry, Sang, cry. Boo-hoo, 'I have nine boys that love me. Life is so _sad_.'

 **Me:** Are you being sarcastic with me? Seriously? We love Sang, why are you-

 **Fingers:** CRY, SANG. WHAT'S WRONG, LITTLE BIRD? LIFE TOO PERFECT?

 **Me:** Okay, I think I'm gonna...go.

 **Fingers:** God, she's even beautiful when she cries. What a bi-

 **Me:** Woah! I don't understand. You've always been a huge Sang fan. Can we please write the chapter now?

 **Fingers:** We should give her morning sickness every single chapter. And her baby should have webbed feet.

 **I'm not exactly sure what happened, but I'm thinking being single now is starting to affect my writing.**


	14. Chapter Fourteen: Test Run

**A/N: I have absolutely no control over this story anymore. What was originally going to be nine chapters, with each one dedicated to a different month of Sang's pregnancy, we are now on Chapter Fourteen and who-knows-what-is-going-on. And I think a total of two weeks have passed since Chapter One...**

 **Heads up, this one is a bit long. But you can't really complain about getting over 8,000 words, right?**

Test Run

The silence in the room was smothering as my feet froze in place behind Kota.

"No worries," Sean quickly assured us as I turned around in horror. It was just an egg, and in my mind I understood that. But for the time being, that was one of our children.

And Sean just killed it, then _hakuna matata-_ ed us.

"You murdered our baby!" Gabriel accused as Sean's head ducked behind the kitchen island.

"No, don't freak out," Sean rushed out while I stood there unmoving. "It was just the extras!"

"The extras?" I squeaked, watching as Sean stood up and tossed a soggy paper towel into the trashcan.

"Yes, I might've knocked over the carton," Sean explained sheepishly, sending me a contrite smile. "There were still two eggs in it."

"So Sang Junior is okay?" I asked, wanting to be completely sure.

"Sang Junior is more than okay, she's wonderful," Sean clarified, holding up his intact egg as he tossed the empty carton into the trash as well.

"Sang Senior, on the other hand, needs to relax," Victor said as he stepped up beside me, rubbing a hand up my arm. "Come on, Princess."

"I don't know why I care so much about an egg," I sighed, frustrated.

"It's not the egg," Victor assured me, his soft fingers trailing down my arm until they laced with mine. "It's what the egg represents."

"No, it's her hormones," Nathan argued, like it was obvious.

"Chicks go batshit crazy when they're knocked up," Gabriel agreed as we headed towards the couches again.

"Why do you guys keep saying I'm knocked up?" I winced as I plopped down on a seat between Victor and Gabriel. "That sounds awful."

"Well, it's true," Gabriel shrugged sheepishly. "No matter how awesome it is, we didn't exactly plan this shit."

"Can you please not call it 'shit'?" Kota asked tiredly, pinching the bridge of his nose as he found a spot next to Nathan. "And I agree with Sang; 'knocked up' has a negative connotation."

"What should we say, then?" Nathan asked. "With child? Expectant? Preggers?"

"Just 'pregnant' works for me," I cut in quickly, not wanting this to turn into a brainstorming session.

"Fine, Sang's _pregnant,_ " Gabriel pouted, crossing his arms as he leaned back against the couch.

"Don't sound so disappointed, Gabe," Silas chuckled.

"Focus on the task at hand, gentlemen," Owen instructed clearly, and I straightened in my seat.

"How many rules are there?" Kota turned to Sean eagerly, readjusting his glasses. "And just how long does this game last?"

"And do you have a rulebook for Kota?" Nathan asked Sean teasingly. "He'll probably want it all in writing."

"I don't need it in writing," Kota mumbled half-heartedly.

"Okay, there aren't many rules," Sean started as he stood in front of us. "And we're all in this together, so don't go about purposely trying to get someone to drop their egg."

"So if there's foul play involved and we drop our egg, does that mean we still lose?" Luke asked, walking over to join us from the kitchen.

"Fowl," Silas snickered, covering his mouth with a large hand. I shook my head, but laughed along with him.

"Let's just refrain from any foul play, so it won't come to that," Owen commanded from his armchair. We all nodded in agreement, and I kept a special eye on Luke to make sure he was compliant.

"On that note, the rules are pretty simple," Sean continued, holding up his egg. "You'll care for your egg as you would a child, taking time to nurture and love it. If the egg cracks, you lose. If you misplace your egg, you lose."

"But what do we do with it?" Nathan asked, looking down at his egg warily. "It's an egg."

"You'll carry on with your day as normal, but your egg with always be with you," Sean explained. "You'll keep it safe, and take care of it's basic needs. I'm setting the stipulations that you need to 'feed' your egg every half hour, and change it once an hour."

"Change it into what?" Luke frowned. "An avocado?"

"Change its imaginary diaper," Sean rolled his eyes. "But the main rule is that the egg doesn't leave your side. You can use a shoebox or something to create a crib for it, but it always needs to be within five feet of you."

"What if we're called away on a mission?" Kota asked curiously, not looking up from where he was scribbling notes on a pad of paper.

"Then you better hope it doesn't involve hand-to-hand combat," Sean grinned, giving Sang Junior a pat on the head. "Other than that, we'll play until two o'clock. That gives everyone four hours to learn the art of parenting."

"Easy peasy," Luke declared, faking a yawn. "My hands have a gift when dealing with fragile things. Remember when I built that fort solely out of toothpicks and marshmallows?"

I did remember that. After a week spent designing and building it, the fort lasted long enough for Luke and I to play a game of Mousetrap inside of it before it toppled down. The structural design hadn't accounted for Luke getting hungry while inside it.

"It's probably a good thing we're not related by blood," North told Luke with a straight face. "If we were, I'd be getting a psych eval once a week to make sure whatever you have isn't genetic."

"You're just jealous of my silky, blonde locks," Luke sniffed, flipping his head dramatically so his hair flew behind him. Even I couldn't flip my hair that well.

"I'm not jealous of shit," North snorted, crossing his arms. "Can we get on with this?"

"Happy place, North. Find it," Sean answered lightly. "Lastly, no changing your schedules unless there's an emergency or call from the Academy. We're still treating Family Day as we usually would."

"Which means water balloon death match is still on?" Nathan asked with a grin.

"Yes, and it will still take place directly after lunch," Owen answered for Sean, holding Olivia securely atop his knee.

"I suppose we can officially start now," Sean said thoughtfully, looking around at the group. "Just one more thing. Make sure to mark your egg with a symbol or something to let us know which one is yours. That might stop _some_ people from grabbing a new egg out of the fridge if theirs drops."

"Why did you look at me when you said that?" Luke asked suspiciously, narrowing his eyes at Sean.

"No reason, Mr. Sticky Fingers," Sean answered lightly, taking a seat next to Silas on the couch across from me.

"Oh, hold up! Check this out," Gabriel called, fumbling around in one of the end table drawers beside us. He turned, holding up a packet of colored sharpies. "We can use these to draw on them. Make faces and fun shit."

"We don't have to draw anything detailed, right?" Silas asked hesitantly, looking down at his egg unsurely. "I can just do a dot?"

"There's no regulations on the symbols or drawings. You have free reign," Sean eased his worries, and Silas let out a relieved sigh. "Preferably something that wouldn't be easy to copy, though."

"Here you go, Trouble," Gabriel pulled two sharpies out of the packet, black and orange, before handing it to me. I looked down at Emma, tilting my head in thought before pulling out a light pink marker.

"Can I have the black one when you're finished, please, Gabriel?" I asked, handing the package to Victor on my otherside.

"Sure thing, chicken wing," Gabriel answered distractedly, already drawing intricate, orange shapes all over his egg. I was tempted to sit and watch him, it was so mesmerizing to watch Gabriel do any form of artwork, but I had my own mission.

Uncapping the pink marker, I started doodling a bow near the top of Emma's shell. Quiet murmurs filled the room, the boys discussing one thing or another as we slowly brought our eggs to life.

I concentrated on Emma, carefully sliding the marker back and forth to shade in her bow as Gabriel began humming an upbeat tune next to me.

"Almost...done,...Trouble," Gabriel slowly informed me, sticking his tongue out in concentration as he swooped the black sharpie away from his egg in a grand flourish. "Done! It's all yours, sweetie."

"Thank you," I smiled, accepting the sharpie and leaning beside Gabriel's shoulder to get a good look at his masterpiece. My lips parted once I saw it, the orange lines interlacing and weaving all over the eggshell looked both delicate and beautiful. Glancing back at my egg, I saw a lopsided bow where my marker went outside the lines on two separate occasions. Gabriel had finished a piece of art in the same amount of time it took me to butcher something a seven year old girl could draw without any trouble.

"That's beautiful, Gabriel," I breathed, smiling at the proud grin he wore.

"It's alright," Gabriel shrugged, turning the egg over until I saw what turned out to be the front. I had to press my lips tightly together to stop the laughter from escaping.

Instead of a face for his egg, Gabriel had written in large, capital letters that filled up an entire side of the egg. _Little Fucker._

"How's yours coming along, Sang?" Gabriel asked, eyeing Emma with interest.

"I don't have much yet," I admitted, uncapping the black marker and holding Emma up with my other hand. I held her as still as possible, hoping I wouldn't start to shake from the intensity of Gabriel's gaze. I took my time, drawing two dark circles for eyes and accentuating them with tiny eyelashes to make her a little girly. Moving down, I carefully drew a little smile for her mouth before leaning back and eyeing her over. I guess that'd do.

"You know what would make her look awesome?" Gabriel asked excitedly, pointing towards the top of her shell. "You should outline the bow in black, then add two accent marks near the middle of its circle. That'll make the bow really pop."

I followed Gabriel's instructions, the smile on my face growing as I saw that he was correct. The bow really was cute.

"Did you just draw a dick on yours?" Nathan asked North in disbelief, his raised voice being heard clearly throughout the room.

"I'm preparing him for the real world," North explained gruffly.

"But how is that...nevermind," Nathan trailed off with a shake of his head before going back to doodling on Donatello. I bit my lip, sorely tempted to see how North had decorated Jack, but I held my tongue.

"Are we ready to _rumble_?" Luke called out, hopping up from his seat across from us. "Let's get this party started!"

It took my brain a moment to catch up as Luke pulled three eggs out from behind his back. When he threw one into the air, I gripped Victor's arm like a vice beside me as Luke began juggling with all three.

"Luke?" Sean asked, watching him apprehensively. "Why in the world do you have three eggs?"

"I told you my swimmers were extra strong," Luke explained patiently, throwing one egg extra high into the air and doing a spin before catching it and continuing his performance. Victor cried out when my nails bit into his skin, and I hastily let go. "I would've had triplets, so I grabbed two more eggs."

"You realize you have a heightened probability of losing now, right?" Sean sighed, shaking his head. "You can't just use those two extras as backups incase you drop Thor."

"The greater the risk, the greater the reward," Luke announced, catching all three eggs and ending his trick with a low bow. Gabriel was the only one to clap. "I'm taking these three all the way to the Egg Olympics."

"What'd you name the other two?" Kota asked curiously, and I saw Max had a bunch of yellow marker atop his head. A goofy smile took over my face. Kota gave our egg-baby my hair?

"Well, this is Thor," Luke introduced, holding up one egg with a smiley face scribbled on the front. "Then this is Obama."

He held up the second egg, which had an identical smiley face to the first one.

"And this is Tom," Luke finished, holding up the third egg to face us. Same smiley face.

"Tom as in Tom Riddle?" Kota asked suspiciously. "Is this just because you can't call him V-"

"Don't say his fucking name!" Gabriel burst out beside me, and Victor jumped at the outburst, barely holding onto Charlotte before she went flying out of his hands.

"You seriously need to get over that, Gabe," Luke rolled his eyes, sitting back down on the couch. "He's not going to magically show up here."

"About time," Victor whispered in relief beside me, leaning over to murmur in my ear. "Luke's finally admitting that Harry Potter is fiction."

"He's dead," Luke continued patiently, as if pointing out the obvious. "And he's all out of horcruxes, so stop worrying about him."

"Nevermind," Victor mumbled, focusing back on his egg and sharpie. "Forget I said anything."

"I'm not worried," Gabriel denied adamantly with a shake of his head. "But I still don't say Beetlejuice three times fast, because you never know what shit might happen!"

"Wise words, Gabriel," Owen acknowledged as he stood up. "I need to go make preparations for Olivia, so I'll be back shortly."

"Ditto," Luke exclaimed, getting up from his spot and heading towards the connecting townhouse. "Daddy needs to get his babies ready."

"Same, but without the daddy nonsense," North joined in, standing from the couch and following Luke out the door. My eyes narrowed after him, skeptical if he was coming back or going to the TV room in Siberia and blowing us all off.

"Are you getting a crib for Emma?" Victor asked me softly as the other boys all stood up. Gabriel stuffed the remaining sharpies back in the drawer before taking off out the front door.

"I guess so," I answered uncertainly. "It's only four hours, but I know I won't be able to just hold her for that long."

"Let's go find something," Victor replied, putting the cap back on his marker before standing up. I accepted his offered hand and tried to get a good look at Charlotte as I stood up.

My teeth immediately clamped onto my lower lip to hold in the giggles once I saw her scribbled face. Victor was a dream when it came to music, but this form of art did not come easily to him. Charlotte's sleeping eyes were uneven, and her mouth resembled something that looked vaguely like a dill pickle.

I cut my gaze away before Victor could catch me staring, and we headed towards the stairs.

"I have a few dozen shoe boxes in my closet, courtesy of Gabriel," I told him as we climbed the steps. "Most probably still have the tissue paper in them, too."

"We can grab some Kleenex if we need to," Victor assured me, placing a hand on my lower back as we reached the second level and passed by Sean's room.

"Maybe we should get those dolls that health classes use," Sean's voice carried from Owen's room as we started to walk by. I glanced in, seeing Sean perched on Owen's bed, but no sign of the other man. "They use a computer program to track how well the baby is taken care of, and we can all learn from it."

"It seems unnecessary. I'm confident today will be satisfactory," Owen's voice floated out from his closet, and I stopped in the middle of his doorway with Victor following suit. "If I'm proven wrong, I'm sure the Toma team could provide the necessary supplies."

"They're children, Owen. Not supplies," Sean rolled his eyes, grinning when he noticed us hovering in the doorway.

"Either way, they have four babysitter-ready offspring that would be up to the task," Owen reasoned, stepping out of the closet in one of his charcoal grey, pristine suits. He was in the middle of tying a cherry red tie, flipping the end over as his fingers moved fluidly across the fabric.

"Owen?" I asked in confusion, my brain not comprehending why he was getting changed into something nice. "What are you doing?"

Was he leaving before the game even started?

"He's getting his head in the game, Pookie," Sean grinned with a laugh. "You know his suit can double as a safety blanket for Owen when he's nervous."

I bit my lip, half of me wanting to laugh at the unimpressed look that Owen shot Sean but the other half remembering what Owen said when we were up here earlier.

He really was worried about not being a good father. Maybe this game would be beneficial for both of us.

"Olivia is resting safely in her crib," Owen assured me, nodding towards the bed. I saw a small basket there, one Owen usually kept under his sink to hold cotton balls. The fluffy white material was still escaping out of the sides, and I was impressed by Owen's strategy.

"I think Owen was just about to sing her a lullaby, if you'd like to stay," Sean beamed, leaning back on the bed.

"No, that's okay," I smiled at his teasing, slipping my hand into Victor's and backing out of the doorway. "I'll leave you to it, Owen."

"How kind," Owen deadpanned, slipping on a pair of black loafers before heading towards the bed.

Victor and I continued towards my room, slipping through the door before I made my way to the closet.

"Do you have a color preference?" I asked Victor as he headed for the bathroom and I climbed onto the stepping stool.

"What do you think?" Victor answered somewhat sarcastically, and I bit my lip to stop a smile as I pulled a light grey shoebox off the shelf. I lifted the lid, appreciating the slightly musty smell as I saw a few pieces of white tissue paper hiding inside. Quickly selecting a soft yellow box as well while keeping hold of Emma in one hand, I hopped down from the stool and carried them both into my room.

"Found the Kleenex," Victor reported, holding up a handful of them as he exited the bathroom.

"Perfect," I nodded approvingly, placing both boxes on the bed and removing their lids. Victor split up the Kleenex, adding them to both boxes while I headed over to my desk. Rifling through the top two drawers, I tried to remember where Gabriel had put my craftbox after his most recent re-arrangement of my room.

"What are you looking for, Princess?" Victor asked.

"This!" I exclaimed victoriously, pulling the box out of my bottom drawer and searching through it. I took out a handful of bottles, not caring which colors were chosen.

"Which is...?" Victor trailed off, eyeing my hands as I turned towards him.

"Glitter!" I beamed, holding up the bottles and shaking them excitedly. "To make the cribs pretty!"

"Um, I...I don't...," Victor stammered, scratching his eyebrow as he eyed the bottles of glitter uneasily.

"Relax, you can keep your man card," I assured him, placing the bottles on the bed next to our cribs. "But we both have baby girls, so it's okay to use glitter."

There was a loaded silence as I watched Victor eye the glitter.

"Fine, just...just please don't overdo it with the pink," Victor sighed in resignation, wincing as he watched me unscrew the cap.

"Victor, if you really don't want me to, I won't," I promised, not wanting this to be painful for him. "I just figured this was your chance to spoil Charlotte with princess-y things, so I-"

"It's fine, Sang," Victor shook his head, squaring his shoulders. "Just do it. Now, before I change my mind."

"Okay," I giggled, too excited to back out now. I held the bottle over Victor's box, shaking it slightly and watching the golden glitter come tumbling out into the crib.

"Okay, that's enough!" Victor's tight voice stopped me after only three shakes, and I rolled my eyes while pulling back. There was barely any glitter in there.

I switched to the pastel pink glitter, sliding Emma's crib to the side of the my bed. Fluffing up the tissues a bit, I started jiggling the bottle over her Kleenex. The pink looked cute with the light yellow box, and I didn't stop until at least twenty shakes of the bottle.

"Beautiful," I breathed, picking Emma off the comforter and gently placing her inside the shoebox. She looked snug and comfortable in the mountain of Kleenex, and I did a test jiggle of the box to make sure she wouldn't roll around in it.

"Ready to head back downstairs?" Victor asked, picking up Charlotte's box, where she was nestled inside her own Kleenex. I nodded, leading Victor out the door and passing Owen's empty room. We started down the stairs, careful to hold our shoeboxes level.

"I mean it, that's cheating!" Nathan's voice could be heard as we hiked down the stairs. "Cut it out."

"He's right, North," Kota's voice joined in, and my eyebrows furrowed as I picked up my pace. "That's really pushing it, and you should take it off."

"How is this cheating, when you all made those cribs?" North retorted grumpily. "This is my version of a crib. I even left an air hole for breathing!"

We rounded the corner, and I snorted a laugh when I saw North facing off against Kota and Nathan. He was holding Jack in one hand, but...

"Is that bubblewrap?" I laughed, pointing at the haphazardly wrapped material being held together by a piece of duct tape around Jack.

North grunted an affirmative, sending me a look that dared me to say anything else on the subject.

"North," Kota pressed sternly, not budging on his decision.

"Fine," North sighed, heading back towards the door to Shangri-La. "I'll figure something else out."

"Thank you," Kota called after him before sitting back down on the couch. He sent me a warm look, his eyes bouncing between mine and Emma's shoebox. "What've you got there, Sang?"

"Emma's crib," I smiled, stopping in front of him and Nathan on the couch and presenting Emma's living arrangements. "Victor, show them Charlotte's."

"Eh, I'm not...," Victor fidgeted beside me as Kota and Nathan voiced their praise of Emma's crib.

"What's wrong, Vic?" Nathan asked, holding a cup. I looked inside, seeing Donatello with his purple sharpie mask nestled in between some napkins. "Show us what you got."

"Fine," Victor sighed, carefully holding out his shoebox so Kota and Nathan could see. They both peered over the edge, smiling when they saw Charlotte, before Nathan pulled back with a sudden cough.

"Wait," he coughed again, looking at Victor in surprise. "Hold up, is that glitter?"

"Yes," Victor admitted shamefully, and I poked him in the side.

"What's wrong with glitter?" I asked incredulously. "I put a lot more on Emma's, and I did that to Charlotte's."

"Nothing, Sang," Nathan shook his head with pinched lips, elbowing Kota in the side when he snorted. "Nothing at all."

I narrowed my eyes warningly at him before turning away and heading towards the kitchen. Silas was leaning against the counter, devouring a sandwich, while Luke and Gabriel had their heads together at the island.

"I just don't think it's possible," Luke argued, shaking his head as he crossed something out on the paper in front of him. "After getting that much height and being airborne for so long, the drop would definitely make it crack."

"Not if we had the pool of jello," Gabriel pointed out earnestly, using his own pen to draw a circle around something.

"It wouldn't be dense enough," Luke adamantly shook his head.

I walked around the island, giving them a wide berth, before stopping next to Silas at the stove.

"Is it lunch time already?" I asked in surprise, looking around for his egg but not seeing it anywhere. I carefully placed Emma's crib on the counter, shimmying my phone out of it's hiding spot before glancing at the time. 10:25. I had about five minutes before Emma needed to be fed.

"No, we still have some time. Carrying this egg around was making me hungry," Silas explained with a shrug, taking another bite of his sandwich.

"I'm sure it was," I laughed in amusement, looking over the counters again. "Where is Delphina?"

"Oh, she's right here," Silas answered, opening the cabinet behind him and pulling out a baseball cap. It was upside down, and I peeked inside when he held it out. There was little Delphina, sitting at the bottom of the hat.

"That's...an interesting strategy," I managed to say, noticing the lack of any tissues or support for his egg within the hat.

"She's safe," Silas assured me, opening the cabinet back up and placing her back inside. I bit my lip, picturing Silas hiding our baby in the cabinet when it's born to 'keep it safe.'

"Do you know what we're supposed to feed them?" I asked curiously. It's not like we had baby food just sitting around.

"Breastmilk, Trouble!" Gabriel called across the kitchen. "Whip 'em out!"

"Gabriel," I scolded him lightly after a beat while Luke just nodded along with him and Silas's eyes fixed on my shirt.

"What?" Gabriel asked innocently, widening his eyes. "Isn't that what newborns drink? I'm just trying to keep this game as accurate as possible."

"And accuracy involves me taking my shirt off?" I asked doubtfully, raising an eyebrow at him.

"It'd be good practice," Gabriel pointed out with a shrug. "Once the baby is here, you'll be so used to it you'll be walking around topless all day."

"Khristos, help me," Silas breathed beside me.

"I will not!" I denied quickly, feeling the blush rise up my neck and take over my face. Thankfully my phone started vibrating, and I was able to distract myself by pulling it out. I swiped across the screen, seeing a new text.

Kota: _10:30 - Feeding time. xo_

I bit back a smile, glancing up to see the back of Kota's head as he spoke with Nathan and Victor. He thought of everything.

"We need to feed them something," I stated, turning towards the fridge before Gabriel could make another comment about me taking my clothes off. I tugged the door open, taking a quick look around before zeroing in on the vegetable drawer. "Maybe a carrot?"

"Doc didn't say it needed to be anything specific," Luke said from the island. "Just that the babies need to be fed."

"Carrots it is, then," I nodded, pulling out a bag of baby carrots. I took one for myself, offering the bag to Silas as he shook his head.

"I already gave Delphina some of my sandwich," he said, pointing his thumb towards the cabinet.

"Luke? Gabriel?" I asked, holding the bag out to them.

"Thanks, Sang," Gabriel nodded, and I walked over to give them the bag before turning back to Emma's crib with her carrot.

"Here you go, little Emma," I cooed to her, holding the carrot up to her smiling mouth and waiting a few moments so I could pretend she took a bite.

The rest of the morning passed in the same fashion. After I finished feeding Emma, Owen and Sean both joined us from outside. They'd claimed to be getting the water balloons ready for our fight this afternoon, and after seeing Sean's drenched hair I didn't question them.

We made our way back to Siberia's TV room to put on a movie, picking up North from his kitchen on the way. Emma and I snuggled between North and Silas, with Jack occasionally joining Emma in her crib for company.

The first diaper change was a breeze, as we didn't really have to do anything. Sean handed out wet wipes and baby powder to help make it more believable. Kota surprised us all by managing to fold and tape a Kleenex, which looked shockingly similar to a diaper, onto Max.

When asked where the baby powder came from, Sean mumbled that it felt nicer than aftershave. That explained why Sean's skin always smelled so good and was baby soft after he shaved.

Lunch passed without any issues, and everyone's eggs had been kept well fed with happy nappies. Before I knew it, it was one o'clock and our greatest challenge was upon us.

Water Balloon Capture the Flag.

I had changed into my emerald bikini, slipping on a pair of white cloth shorts and foregoing a shirt for the time being. The boys wouldn't be wearing them, and it would just weigh me down once it was wet. Picking Emma up out of her shoebox, I grabbed my towel out of the bathroom before skipping downstairs and heading towards the loud voices carrying in from outside.

"Here we go, Emma," I whispered, tugging the sliding door open and stepping out into the sun's warm kiss. "Time to play with your daddies."

"Trouble, get your cute little ass over here!" Gabriel called from across the yard. "We're picking teams!"

I tugged my shorts down a bit before jogging over to where the boys were forming a makeshift huddle. The sight of all nine men in their barechested glory was something I would never take for granted, no matter how many years we'd been together. They were mesmerizing, and I spent a lot of energy keeping my gaze above their necks.

"Who're the captains?" I asked, holding Emma in front of me with both hands. A quick glance around the circle showed that everyone still had their egg with them. Or eggs, in Luke's case. I wasn't sure how he planned on holding a water balloon when his hands were already full.

"North and Silas," Owen informed me as the two captains took their places in front of us. "North, start us off."

"Baby," North announced gruffly, curling his finger at me.

I pursed my lips as I walked towards him, not sure if I wanted to smile or groan. They always picked me first. Every. Single. Time. No matter what the game, whenever I wasn't captain, I'd be chosen first. I told them it wouldn't hurt my feelings to be chosen last, but the boys just looked at me like I was crazy for ever thinking they wouldn't pick me.

Maybe it was because I cheated.

"Owen," Silas decided with a nod, and Owen joined the other team.

"Kota," North barked, and I gave Kota a soft high-five when he jogged over to us.

"Nathan," Silas chose after a beat. North eyed the eggs in Luke's hands before huffing a breath.

"Sean," North grunted, looking towards the doctor.

"Look, Sang Junior!" Sean gasped, holding his egg up beside his head. "You get to be on a team with your mommy!"

I shook my head with giggle at the ridiculous man.

"Gabriel, get over here," Silas nodded towards him, and Gabriel jumped up to comply.

"Vic," North decided, rolling his shoulders as Victor and Luke both went to their respective teams.

"You're going down, little brother!" Luke declared tauntingly.

"You can't even hold a fucking balloon, Luke," North retorted before turning back towards us. "Okay, here's the plan. Take Luke out."

"North, we really shouldn't target just one of them," Sean rolled his eyes with a smile.

"He's fucking with us, Doc," North argued, holding up Jack to make his point. "Trying to show us up by having more eggs. Like it means he's got a bigger dick or something."

"Um, what?" I choked on nothing, wondering where that'd come from.

"Luke is just having fun, North. Let him be," Sean answered patiently before clapping his hands together. "Now there are two hundred water balloons total. That means about twenty for each of us, so let's make them count."

"Fine," North grumbled, taking a deep breath before letting it out. "We'll go on the offensive, but nothing too sneaky. They have Luke and Owen, so they're bound to be up to something shifty. Keep your eyes peeled, and find that flag."

"Who's on offense?" Kota asked somberly, tapping his finger repeatedly against Max.

"Let's see," North frowned, looking us over. "I want Sean on defense with me. Kota and Sang, you're offense. Vic, you'll be our inbetween and spy. Sound good?"

We all nodded in agreement, and I felt the adrenaline start to flow as we neared starting time.

"Oh, wait!" I ordered, slipping a hand in my pocket and pulling out a carrot. "Let's feed them now, so we don't have to worry about it mid game."

"Smart, Sang," Kota smiled, and I almost dropped the carrot when I saw the pride in his eyes.

"What a thoughtful mommy," Sean agreed, accepting the offered carrot and holding it against Sang Junior. "Here you go, wubby lubby baby boo."

"Doc, stop," North groaned, rubbing at the skin between his eyes.

"Little Northy-worthy-poo is just jelly-jealous. Isn't that right, wubby lubby?" Sean cooed to the egg, placing a smacking kiss on the top of its shell.

The carrot was passed around, and once all of the babies were fed we turned to see Silas's team in a huddle two backyards over.

"You guys want front or back?" North's voice boomed across the space, starling me into dropping the carrot.

Thank gosh it wasn't Emma.

"We'll take the front," Silas called back. "Five minutes to hide your flag, then we'll start. Timer?"

"Counting down in, 3...2...1, go!" Kota called back, pressing a button on his watch. We watched the other boys jog around the house before making our own move.

"Birdhouse?" Kota asked, looking around the yard with a calculating eye.

"That'll be one of the first places they check," Victor shook his head, walking over to stand behind me and encircling his arms around my waist. I leaned back into the welcome touch, relaxed by the warmth of his bare skin against my back. "We need something either so obvious they won't think to actually check it, or hidden so well they'll never find it."

"How about the loose brick behind Siberia?" I asked, pointing towards North's townhouse. We'd discovered the oddity when Luke had been teaching a few of us to climb up the back of the house, and an entire brick fell out once we got to the second story.

"Luke knows about it, and he'll easily reach it," North shook his head with a frown.

"Even with his three babies?" Sean asked in surprise.

"He'd find a way," Kota agreed with North.

"What about that pipe near the birdhouse?" North asked, looking towards the forest behind us. "We could probably fit it in there."

"Then cover it with leaves," Kota nodded, his eyes narrowing on the shrubbery. "Let's do it. Everyone agree?"

With another round of nods, North took off into the trees, and Victor rested his chin on my shoulder.

"You look beautiful, Sang," he whispered against the skin beneath my ear before placing a soft kiss there, and I turned slightly to place a kiss on the tip of his nose.

"Thank you, Victor," I answered sincerely, resting my arms over his and tracing his exposed skin with my free fingers. "And you look handsome in that swimsuit."

"I'm glad that you're on my team, so it's not as quite as detrimental that you're distracting me," his baritone voice did funny things to my stomach as his free hand splayed across it. Flexing out his fingers, his pinky traced the top of my shorts. "I remember the last time you wore this bikini."

"You do?" I licked my lips, pushing further into Victor's hold when his lips brushed across my shoulder in a featherlight touch. Then his tongue joined in, dancing across the skin at the base of my neck.

Victor made a sound of agreement, pushing in closer even though I was already flush against him.

"The end of last summer," he murmured against my skin, his breath fanning over the part of my neck he had licked, and I shivered at the sensations. "Labor Day barbeque."

"You played your new song," I recalled, trailing my toes up one of Victor's bare feet as my fingers kept up their exploration of his forearms. "It was...remarkable."

"I much preferred playing you," Victor responded readily, lips smiling against my neck as his fingers trailed up to dance across my ribs.

"Oh, yeah?" I chuckled a little breathlessly as he started swaying us slightly, side to side. "Well, I think we both know how much I prefer your magical fingers playing me, too."

"Hey, lovebirds!" North called from behind us, sounding further away than I expected. "Pay attention to the game, we're starting soon!"

"Sorry, North," Victor called back, warm breath tickling my neck as he let out a sigh.

"Have you been working on any new songs lately?" I asked, turning around as Victor's arms loosened.

"A few things, but nothing I've written myself," Victor admitted, looking down at the grass.

"Can I listen to you play one soon?" I asked hopefully, smiling up at his shy expression.

"Of course," Victor's gaze shot up, engulfing me in their flames as his smile spread. "But for now, I need you to go to the other side of the house so I can concentrate on something other than how your bikini top is holding itself up with only a single bow."

"Good luck with that," I laughed, leaning up to give Victor a quick kiss before turning towards the house. I took off at a brisk jog, with Emma in hand, looking around the yard for Kota.

"Over here!" Kota's hushed voice reached me, and I saw him leaning against the brick at the edge of Headquarters. He placed one finger over his lips as I approached, before dropping his own voice to a whisper. "Stay quiet, we've got twenty seconds left on the clock before go-time."

 _Plan?_ I signed with my right hand after moving Emma to my left.

 _Find the flag. Don't get hit_ , Kota signed back before holding out a red bookbag. I accepted it, noticing Kota already had one attached to his own back. Kota helped me get my arm through one strap before lugging it onto my shoulder. Water balloons were heavy.

 _Good plan,_ I signed back with an eyeroll, causing Kota to smile. _But how?_

 _Stay hi-_ Kota cut himself off, dropping his hand and glancing at his watch. _Go!_

We shot around the corner, and I fell into line behind Kota as he crept along the wall. Slipping my free hand into the backpack's open pocket, I lifted out a balloon the size of an orange and held it at the ready.

We crept further down the side until Kota could glance around the corner, and I kept an eye on the opposite direction. There was an open grass area between Headquarters and the next group of townhomes, and we'd be able to see anyone who tried to run across.

Luke had gotten around this in the past by running around the surrounding townhouses or climbing over the roof of ours.

Kota's wrist tapped my arm, his own balloon held at the ready. I nudged him back, and we took off around the corner.

"Intruders!" Gabriel yelled from the mailbox area as he saw us. I launched my water balloon at him, seeing him instinctively duck before my gaze shot around the rest of the front yard. Silas was standing near the front landscaping of Siberia, and I caught the back of Nathan's head before he rounded the corner of Siberia and disappeared from sight. "Get 'em!"

Silas launched a balloon from two houses over, but Kota and I barely managed to jump back before it popped against the grass at our feet, showering our legs in the process.

After that, it was a massacre. Luke dropped a balloon on my head from a window above, and Kota threw two balloons rapidly at Gabriel, getting him square in the chest with the second one. Victor made his presence known from the other side of the house with Nathan trailing him, and I hurled balloon after balloon at Silas with as much power as I could.

Emma was safe and secure in my left hand, while I consciously kept myself from gripping her too hard.

"You can't run forever, _Aggele_!" Silas's voice floated after me as I took off around the house again. Kota and Victor were holding their own, and Luke had disappeared again. "If you come back here, I'll give you a nice, big hug!"

It was tempting.

"Sean!" I called out as I skidded to a stop in the backyard, looking around for any sign of said doctor. "Sean?"

"Retreat, Pookie, retreat!" Sean called, but it was too late. I turned, just in time to see that Owen had managed to sneak up behind me.

And he had the hose.

"No!" I cried, taking off for the forest as I felt the bitter cold jet make contact with my back. He had the nerve to dip the hose lower, hitting my bottom as I yelped, before moving up to my back again. "Owen!"

"You're looking a little wet, my dear," Owen called after me, a smile in his voice.

I blindly lobbed a balloon over my shoulder, praying it would hit him as I ducked behind the nearest tree.

"Pookie, up here!" I heard whispered above me, and I let out a relieved breath.

"Sean!" I called up quietly, squinting into the trees. "Hurry, Owen is down here!"

"Stay still, Pookie!" The hushed whisper traveled down to me, but I still couldn't see where Sean was hiding.

"Okay, just get down here!" I insisted, setting my bookbag down and pulling out another balloon. I was already over half out, only four remaining. We were toast. "We need to regroup."

"As you wish," he responded, and I looked up to see a blur of blonde hair as he dropped out of the tree.

But it wasn't Sean smirking back at me, it was Luke.

"Sorry, Pookie!" He grinned tauntingly, holding a balloon over my head and popping it with his lockpick before I could even blink. The water hit me like a hammer, drenching my already wet hair and trickling down my skin. "Better luck next time!"

Luke juked around the tree right as I held up my own balloon, but it was a lost cause. He didn't have a drop of water on him. Even three egg babies couldn't stop him.

As soon as I emerged from the trees, the madness continued. Balloons were thrown, orders were shouted, and eggs were protected at all costs.

But in the end, neither flag was found, and my team lost on account of all five of us being soaking wet.

We spent the next half hour relaxing on the porch. Sunbathing to dry off, and taking turns feeding and changing our tiny charges. Miraculously, they had all survived the water fight. I only wish I could've said the same about my hair. It was a mess.

With our egg game winding down and the sun making us lazy, we shuffled back into Headquarters and found ourselves back on the couches.

"I must excuse myself," Owen explained, heading towards the stairs as the rest of us sat down. I settled in Sean's lap, closing my eyes as I felt a nap coming on. "I need to freshen up with a shower."

"Don't drop the soap!" Luke called after him teasingly, before frowning thoughtfully. "Or the egg, actually."

"Is the game over, then?" Nathan asked, looking down at Donatello with a small frown. "We don't need to keep our babies, uh, I mean eggs, safe anymore?"

"Correct, the experiment is over," Sean assured him, smacking a noisy kiss on my cheek. I didn't bother to wipe off the little bit of slobber he left. "Sang knows she's going to be the best mommy in the whole wide world now."

I wouldn't go that far.

"In that case, I'm gonna get some hay and put these little guys under my nightlight to see if they hatch," Luke grinned excitedly, and he was out the door to his townhouse before any of us could stop him.

"Luke has a nightlight?" Was all Kota said.

"It's shaped like a narwhal," Gabriel explained with a nod as Silas got up and headed towards the kitchen.

"Since it's over, I'll put our eggs back," Victor volunteered, standing up and holding Charlotte's shoebox out to me. I looked down at Emma, overcome by how much I cared for this little egg. How much I wanted to protect her and take care of her. If I felt this strongly over an egg, how would I feel with our actual baby?

"Thank you, Victor," I sighed, planting a soft kiss on Emma's head before placing her in the shoebox with Charlotte. Sean added his egg as well, and Victor headed over to North.

"What the-" Victor froze as North placed his egg in the basket. With a puzzled glance at North, Victor lifted Jack out of the box and gave him an odd look. "Why is Jack so heavy?"

North shrugged, avoiding our eyes as he crossed his arms.

"North?" Sean pressed gently, causing North to let out an angry breath.

"Ihardboiledhim," North grumbled, looking down at his lap.

"What?" I asked, not making out what he said.

"I fucking hardboiled him! Okay?" North snapped, and we all gaped at him for a moment. Sean's shaking chest broke me out of my stupor as he exploded with laughter. I joined in next, helpless to the giggles taking over while North sulked. The laughter spread until North couldn't stop his own lips from twitching, and he shook his head.

"You guys are crazy," he sighed, uncrossing his arms and relaxing back against the couch.

"We're not the ones who hardboiled our baby," I pointed out teasingly, feeling a little sassy as North's eyes narrowed on me.

"Anyone else want an omelette?" Silas called from the kitchen, cracking Delphina against the side of a bowl before letting her insides fall into it. "I'm starving."

 **A/N: Alternative ending (because I'm starting to accept that my brain just can't stick to one path. I really wanted to use this one originally, but I liked the idea of ending this chapter with Silas going all Hannibal on us. You can just pretend that both happened, because that's what I'm doing):**

"Let's get a family picture," I suggested with a smile, purposefully keeping my eyes away from where Gabriel was balancing Little Fucker on his nose. "With us and all of our egg-babies."

"Gabriel, do you have your camera?" Owen asked, holding Olivia dutifully in front of his stomach.

"Let me go grab it," Gabriel answered, and I looked over just in time to see him drop his head, Little Fucker falling in the process, before his hand swept up the egg in a flourishing gesture. "Ta-da!"

I think I almost had a heart attack.

"Where do you want us, Pumpkin?" Sean asked as Gabriel disappeared into the connecting townhouse. "On a couch?"

"In bed?" Luke suggested before Nathan chopped him on the head.

"Let's see," I hummed thoughtfully, looking around the room. "How about in front of the fireplace?"

"Then we can hang it over the mantle!" Luke grinned excitedly.

"We're not hanging up a picture of us holding eggs for other people to see," North protested with a sense of finality.

"But I wanna remember this," Nathan frowned.

"Put it in a fucking locket then," North shot back, sinking further down into the couch.

"We can put it in my bedroom," I suggested with shrug. "The only other people who are ever really in my bedroom are Jessica and Kayli. They won't care."

"Got it!" Gabriel shouted before he came flying through the door, bulky camera in one hand and a tripod in the other. "Where's the magic happening?"

"In bed," Luke fake-coughed into his fist, setting off a round of snickers as I rolled my eyes.

"We'll be in front of the fireplace, Gabriel," Owen instructed as he stepped forward, motioning us all to start moving. We dutifully followed along to the fireplace, and there wasn't a moment of hesitation or bumping into each other as we all immediately fell into formation. Sean, Nathan, Silas, North, and Owen formed the back row, stepping up on the fireplace stoop to get a little extra height. Luke, Kota, me, and Victor made up the front row.

"Okay, I'm setting the timer to five seconds!" Gabriel called out from behind the camera while he simultaneously tried to tame his mussed hair. "Everyone hold up their egg babies and give me an egg-stra special smile!"

Silas's laugh boomed from behind me at the pun, almost overshadowing North's grumble as Kota placed an arm around my shoulders. Victor slipped his hand into my free one, and I held Emma up proudly with my other.

"A little to your left, Nathan!" Gabriel instructed, his hand waving in the air to accompany the order. "North, we can't see Jack. Where's your fucking egg? Owen, stand a little straighter. Just kidding, that's impossible. Luke, stop kissing Thor! Sang, hold that smile, gorgeous."

I couldn't have stopped smiling if I tried.

"Just take the fucking picture, Gabe!" North barked, and Gabriel tweaked with the camera settings a moment more before he came flying over to us and took his spot next to Victor.

"Here we go!" He beamed, and Victor gave my hand a squeeze. I took one last look at Emma to make sure she was pointing at the camera before I looked back at it myself.

"Say cheese-omelette!" Silas called as the light blinked for a third time.

"Cheese-omelette!" I smiled, my eyes watering while I tried not to blink as the flash went off.

Not even a second after the camera clicked, I heard the distinctly dreadful sound of an egg splattering against something hard for the second time that day.

My shoulders tensed, and I risked a looked behind me as the family room drained of all sound.

There, on the stone step of our fire place and less than three feet away from me, was a shiny black loafer that I'd personally witnessed be polished to perfection on several quiet nights.

And it was covered in egg entrails.

"Shit," Owen cursed.


	15. Chapter Fifteen: The Pregnancy Glow

Chapter Fifteen: The Pregnancy Glow

"Eleven weeks," Gabriel exclaimed in disbelief, his voice muffled by the bathroom wall. I chuckled, scooting further down in the cozy bed and picking my makeshift bookmark off the nightstand. "I just can't believe it!"

"You've said that four times in the last ten minutes, Gabriel," I called back with a smile, placing the guitar pick snug between my book's pages before snapping it shut. The sounds of bottles clinking around as Gabriel continued his bedtime routine were like a lullaby as my eyelids dropped, and I fought to stay awake.

The sound of water running and then Gabriel brushing his teeth travelled to my ears, making me smile.

"So wha if I fooky did?" Gabriel mumbled around the toothbrush in his mouth. My will won a brief battle against my heavy eyelids, squinting open enough to see Gabriel leaning against the doorframe. Foaming at the mouth with toothpaste, hair looking like it'd been intimately acquainted with a blender, and wearing no more than a pair of patterned pajama pants slung low on his lean hips, he looked delicious. "I mean, fooky ship!"

Gabriel groaned, toothpaste flying in all directions before he spun back into the bathroom and disappeared around the corner.

"You know what else is crazy?" I called after him, placing the book on my nightstand and snuggling further into the warm covers. "In another week, I'll be _twelve_ weeks pregnant!"

Gabriel stomped back around the corner after I over-exaggerated a gasp, the toothpaste absent but his hair just as wild.

"Are you getting sassy with me, Trouble?" He asked, giving me an unimpressed look before bringing both hands up to floss his teeth.

"Never, Gabriel," I assured him with an eyeroll.

"Come on! For real. You know it's hard to believe," Gabriel insisted between flossing each tooth, fixing me with a pointed look. "It's been the ten of us for a long time now. This changes _everything_."

"I know," I agreed hesitantly, wondering if it was a bad thing.

"In a good way, Sang," Gabriel assured me quickly with his own eye roll before disappearing around the corner again and calling over his shoulder. "A really, fucking awesome way."

"A really, fucking awesome way," I mumbled under my breath in agreement, letting out a heavy sigh.

The bathroom light switched off, and Gabriel came strolling out with a thoughtful look on his face. He stepped up to the bottom of the bed, leaning a hand against one of the bedposts, and fixed his gaze on mine.

He looked...intense. Almost expressionless with how focused he was as he studied me lying on the bed underneath mountains of blankets.

"Gabriel?" I asked cluelessly, bringing a hand up to make sure nothing was on my face. But knowing him, he would've told me already.

Then a goofy grin spread across Gabriel's face, and he shook is head in what I could only describe as wonder.

"Sang, you're gonna have a fucking baby," Gabriel whispered, the grin only seeming to widen.

"I know, Gabriel," I answered, smiling in amusement as I let my hand drop back down to the mattress top.

"No, Sang," Gabriel shook his head again, his hand meeting my foot under the comforter and giving it a sharp tug. I slid down the mattress a few feet, my sleep shirt riding up against my back from the movement. "I don't think you understand. You're going to have a _baby._ "

"Really now?" I pursed my lips to withhold giggles, gazing back at his serious expression. "Are you sure it won't be a duck?"

"Trouble," Gabriel chided half-heartedly, his grip moving to my ankle as he pulled my leg up in the air. Without a hint of warning, Gabriel's teeth nibbled playfully on my toes and I squealed with surprised laughter.

"Gabriel!" I laughed, wiggling to get away from his firm grip.

"Tsk tsk, Trouble," Gabriel chided softly, lips ghosting over my skin as he spoke. With a kiss on the tip of my big toe and a quick nip of my ankle, he brought my leg down and pinned it to the mattress. "Stay still."

"Is that an order?" I whispered through the breathless laughter, positive my smile couldn't get any wider as he whipped the covers off my body and climbed onto the bed by my feet.

"Do you want it to be?" Gabriel asked back just as softly while I shivered from the cooler air, his other hand taking ownership of my free ankle before pinning it down beside the imprisoned one. Gabriel scooted forward, straddling my feet before fixing me with a heated look.

"Maybe," I grinned back, the wriggling completely unintentional this time as his cold hands slid up the back of my calves.

"Trouble, I said stop moving," Gabriel laughed, swatting my thigh as he slowly crawled up my legs. I reached out, wanting to touch him, but he stopped once he was straddling my knees. I couldn't move my legs an inch, and he took the opportunity to, little by little, roll my light yellow tank top up over my stomach. His fingers traced the skin there before he dipped down to place a kiss right above my belly button.

Gabriel stayed there, lying flush against my legs with his fingers caressing my abdomen, chin propped up as he regarded me with a gaze so stark I felt another shiver travel down my spine.

"Christ, you're gorgeous," Gabriel murmured, sighing against my stomach and leaving goosebumps in his breath's wake.

"Thank you, Gabriel," I answered quietly, my smile sobering as I reached out again and wove my fingers through his soft hair. "And you...you are simply stunning."

His bright blue eyes stayed trained on mine, neither acknowledging nor denying the honest compliment, and my heart felt so full of love for this remarkable man before me.

He began humming, some soft tune I wasn't familiar with, as his fingers trailed back and forth across my stomach. They switched directions and formed designs on my skin, painting out a picture that only Gabriel could see.

"Do you want a girl or boy?" Gabriel asked in the same soft tone before humming again, his eyes not leaving mine.

"I...don't know," I answered honestly, not having given the gender too much thought yet. Boy or girl, it would still be a baby and I would still be just as clueless on how to care for it. "It sounds cliche, but as long as the baby is healthy..."

"Then you're happy," Gabriel filled in with a gentle smile, giving my belly another warm, soft kiss.

"What about you?" I asked, instantly curious if he had a preference.

"I want a girl," Gabriel answered immediately, surprising me with his bluntless. "A tiny, mini Sang. A pocket-sized Trouble."

"Why a girl?" Was all I could manage to ask, mesmerized by the joy flashing across his crystal eyes.

"For one thing, you're already surrounded by boys," Gabriel shrugged, straightening up until he was sitting on my legs again. "You could use another female around. Someone to get all girly with, without making North feel like he's sacrificing his masculinity. Even though he'll probably be the first one to sit down at a make-believe tea party when his little girl bats her gorgeous green eyes at him..."

I smiled at the idea of it; North's large body hunched over in a pink, plastic chair no taller than his knee. Sipping Koolaid with his pinky out while discussing the day's events with Mr. Elephant. A giggling four year old sitting across from him, her hair beautifully plaited by the man currently perched on top of me, stealthily sneaking bites of the cookie she hid underneath her play table.

I wanted that. Badly.

"I could do her hair for school," Gabriel continued, his eyes lighting in excitement as a grin took over his face. "Design a nursery fit for a princess. Go to all her dance recitals. Teach her everything about makeup when she's older..."

I sighed as Gabriel's grin turned dreamy before he shook his head and remained with me in the present.

"And honestly, the clothing options for boys below the age of six is an absolute travesty," Gabriel huffed, squeezing my sides as I snorted. "Don't laugh, Trouble! It's the honest-to-fuck truth. I've been looking online, and even the baby couture leaves a lot to be desires for boys."

"The horror," I gasped, shaking my head as his fingers played with the rolled up portion of my tank top, sitting snug against the bottom of my chest. My bare stomach was wide open to his gaze, and I felt my blood warming from the way he watched it rise and fall as I breathed. "But...does this mean you'll be disappointed if it's a boy?"

"Of course not," Gabriel answered, brow furring in confusion. "Either one, doesn't matter! Whatever we don't have now, we'll just have later."

There it was again, the casual mention of more kids down the road.

"Now that's enough talk about rugrats," Gabriel declared, fingers dipping below the fabric of my tank top and tracing the bottom of my bra . "Let's go back to talking about you."

"We weren't talking about me," I answered in confusion, taking a deep, calming breath as his fingers started to massage. They crept up further, pulling my tank top along with them.

"I believe I was commenting on how gorgeous you are," Gabriel rebuked with a slow, dangerous smile, losing his patience and sliding my shirt all the way up until it rested against my neck. "Now be quiet and let me feast my eyes, Trouble."

I'd specifically chosen the lavender bra for Gabriel, after recently finding out that a man so taken with bright neon colors had a certain soft spot for pastels. It was soft, delicate, and had intricate patterns weaving along the bottoms of each cup. I'm not sure who was enjoying this more, him drinking in the bra or me watching his reaction.

"Arms up, Trouble," Gabriel murmured, and I complied as he pulled the tank top fully off. I rested my hands on his knees, tracing the soft fabric of his cotton pants while waiting for his next move.

"Stay still," Gabriel repeated softly, gently scooting forward until he was resting on my hips. He leaned over, not breaking his gaze, before pulling out the nightstand drawer beside us and shuffling around the contents. "Here we go."

Those three words were the only warning I had before a camera was gazing back at my face and I heard a distinct _click_.

"Gabriel, don't," I groaned, throwing an arm over my eyes and using the other to push at his stomach. "I'm a mess."

"You're beautiful," Gabriel corrected, and I heard the click of another picture. "You're all soft and sweet, cuddly and sleepy."

"You're delusional," I snorted, but my lips twitched up into a smile at his sweetness.

"Here," Gabriel dropped the camera and grabbed my hands with his, moving both until they were pinned on either side of my head. His head dipped down for a quick, not nearly satisfying enough kiss before he backed away. One hand left mine, picking his camera back up off the mangled comforter. "Stay just like that."

He snapped another picture, and I blinked up at him. His thumb traced the skin between my forefinger and thumb, and I very much liked the feel of his weight on my hips.

"I'm still trying to figure out how I want to track your baby bump through photos," Gabriel mused quietly. "But this'll definitely be a private way. Just for me."

"You want pictures of me in my bra, with tired eyes and a rat's nest for hair, while my belly grows?" I asked doubtfully, moving my free hand down to rest on said stomach.

"I want you to be you. As sweet and natural as the day I met you at Kota's house. Definitely less lemon juice, vinegar, and deer-in-the-headlights, though," Gabriel answered soberly before grinning wickedly from behind the camera. "And since you mentioned it...the bra is optional."

"The bra is staying on," I answered quickly, my cheeks flaming.

"There's that blush," Gabriel smirked, and the clicking picked up pace. "I knew talking about getting you naked would bring it out."

"Gabriel," I whined, pursing my lips at his manipulation. Unable to help myself, I let my lower lip push forward a bit.

"Fuck no!" Gabriel cried after another _click_. "Don't you dare give me that lip, Trouble. Nope. Nu uh. Put it back."

"Gabriel," I pouted further, tilting my head up at the camera lense. "You wouldn't take pictures of me when I didn't want you to, right?"

"Trouble," Gabriel groaned, dropping the camera a few inches so I could meet his bright, blue eyes. "No guilt-tripping! Just let me take a few shots of my beautiful, glowing wife, okay?"

"I don't glow," I frowned, glancing down at my arm. It looked like a normal arm, pale skin and a couple birthmarks.

"Of course you do," Gabriel rolled his eyes while my frown deepened. "Sang, I'm serious. It's not even a pregnant glow...yet. You have this natural aura that just shines."

"Really, Gabriel?" I asked through twitching lips. "You're going to butter me up so you can take more pictures of me half-naked?"

"It's not that, and I'm not fucking lying. You always glow," Gabriel shrugged, his talented fingers coming down to comb through the hair he could reach on my pillow. "Every day, every minute. You shine like the flipping sun, Sang. Even when you're having a bad day, you're still like...like a jar of lightning bugs."

"I'm like a jar of bugs?" I snorted with a smile, swatting lightly at his hand in my hair as the camera clicked again. I secretly loved the comparison.

"Shit, I don't know! I'm not good with words," Gabriel shrugged, setting the camera down on my stomach to show me his earnest face. "I've always been better at visualization. If you want a painting or...or a haircut that shows you how I see you, then I can do it. But if it's not pre-written lyrics, then I'm shit."

"No, Gabriel," I shook my head, placing my hands over his on the camera. "You have your own way with words, and I adore it. You have no idea how special they make me feel. And you're the opposite of...shit."

"What's the opposite of-"

"You're strong, so strong," I cut him off with a gentle smile. "But you know what...I don't have the words to fully explain it myself, so I'm going to steal someone else's."

"You're going to argue with me about not being good with words, by using someone else's?" Gabriel asked with an eyebrow raise, and I tightened my fingers around his.

"Shush, Meanie," I admonished softly, looking deep into his eyes. "'You're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.'"

"Sounds a little corny," Gabriel whispered, his serious eyes trained on mine.

"Well...it _is_ from Winnie-the-Pooh," I grinned up at him while he snorted. "But you're so much more than you give yourself credit for, Gabriel. I wish so badly you could see it."

"Well, I guess I can't be that bad if you fell in love with me, right?" Gabriel played it off lightly, sending me a smile.

I made a promise to myself then. A promise that one day Gabriel would believe every compliment I gave him, no matter how big or small, without a doubt in his beautiful mind.

"But enough talk, now it's time to give your face another kind of glow," Gabriel decided with a smirk, slipping his hands out of mine before leaning over me to place him camera on the nightstand. I took the opportunity to trace the skin at his hipbones, admiring their shape.

Then Gabriel put his words into action, lips whispering down my neck as hands tugged my bra up, and the only talk allowed after that was heated words and carnal promises.

I wasn't the only one glowing by the time we fell into a blissful sleep later that night.

* * *

Waking up was not nearly as pleasant.

I jolted forward in the bed, an unsettling feeling taking over as Gabriel mumbled in his sleep while snaking his arm tighter around my waist.

Did I have a nightmare?

It'd been months since the last one, but I couldn't remember a thing about what I'd been dreaming just moments ago. The disconcerting feeling wove its way through my stomach with dread, and I listened intently for anyone moving around in the hallway.

The clock glowed back at me saying we had a few hours before dawn, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was happening. Reaching for the phone on my nightstand while trying to recall if any of the boys were working last night, I lurched forward as my stomach rolled.

"Oh no," I gasped, clutching at my offending abdomen while kicking off the sheets. Gabriel barely moved, having always been a heavy sleeper, but accidentally waking him was honestly the last thing on my mind as my life's sole mission became making it to the bathroom before I erupted.

Sliding off the bed with a moan did nothing to tame my rebelling insides, and I gripped the nightstand for a moment to catch my bearings as the room spun. Bile traveled up my throat, rocking me forward with a small whimper.

"No, no, no," I mumbled, scurrying across the plush carpet while trying to rub my stomach into submission. It didn't yield, and I practically dove for the toilet once I'd reached the bathroom's threshold.

The first dry heave was painful, looking down at the white bowl before me with sleep still clouding my consciousness. I hugged the seat, my chest heaving with a deep breath before I gagged again. The bile burned, seeming to mark its territory as it rose up and left me on a pitiful cry. There was no relief, just more bile and chicken pot pie from the night before.

I could somewhat taste the carrots as they came back up, and I'd never hated vegetables more.

"Sang?" Gabriel called groggily from the bedroom, oblivious to my current torment. I would've tried to call back but I didn't want to expend the energy and my mouth was a little busy at the moment. The sound of my sickness crashing against the bowl had Gabriel on the move, and I vaguely heard him staggering into the room behind me.

I managed a grunt before the next wave took over.

"Oh shit, Trouble," Gabriel whispered sympathetically, something I barely heard over the din before he was beside me, rubbing a hand up and down my back as he cooed to me softly. "You're okay, beautiful. Just let it out. You can...oh, oh shit-"

Gabriel yanked his hand off my back, stumbling backwards before I heard a scuffle behind me.

"I can't, oh shit. This is-" Gabriel gasped before his own stomach interrupted him as the sound of retching filled my ears. "Motherfucker!"

I gasped for breath, moaning at the smell and discomfort and taste and absolute Hell I felt myself being dragged down into.

The shower curtain beside me was ripped to the side, and Gabriel's melodic heaving joined mine in a cruel symphony.

"Trouble, I can't-" Gabriel groaned in distress before hunching further over the tub's wall. I gulped in air, my stomach taking a merciful break as Gabriel's continued full force.

"Holy crow," I moaned, letting my head dip further into the abyss as I clutched at the edges. "I think I might be dying."

"Nasty," Gabriel agreed with a moan, taking deep breaths that did little to calm either of us. "I can taste chicken, and it tastes like shit with this stomach acid."

I gagged again, spitting into the bowl when nothing came up. My mouth was drowning in saliva, and I really needed a hug.

"Please don't talk about chicken," I mumbled, slumping further against the toilet and trying not to think of how many people had sat on it since it was last cleaned.

"Guys?" A voice called from the hallway, accompanied by a soft knock.

"We're in here," I called pitifully, not bothering to move my head from its prone position.

"I heard a lot of commotion, is everything okay?" Nathan's voice asked as it came closer. "Why are the lights out?"

I hadn't even noticed, but the mood-lighting would've been romantic if Gabriel was filling the bath with bubbles instead of vomit.

"What the-"

"Go away!" Gabriel wailed before an army of coughs overtook him.

"Sang! Gabe!" Nathan exclaimed. "Hold on, I'm-"

The sound of Nathan rushing over was interrupted by a shocked yelp and _crash_ as the bathroom floor tremored beneath me. I risked a glance over my shoulder in worry, squinting through the dark to see Nathan lying on the tiled floor.

"What the fuck?" Nathan cursed, scrambling up and flicking on the lightswitch. I groaned from the brightness, and feebly tried to reach up to flush the toilet but the journey wasn't worth the battle. "Holy shit, you've gotta be kidding me! Fuck-"

"Please don't throw up," I begged, knowing I wouldn't be able to handle it if he started tossing cookies in the sink.

"This is disgusting! I'm covered in barf," Nathan cried, and the sound of running water filled my ears as he turned on the sink. "Is that _corn_?"

"Stop talking about food!" Gabriel and I cried together, though his exclamation was much more colorful.

"God, it smells like feet in here," Nathan grimaced, and I kept my eyes trained on the puke floating in the toilet in front of me. Gross.

"Ew," I managed to mutter, glaring down at it.

"Sang?" Nathan asked, crouching down beside me and pulling my hair back. I hadn't even realized it was down. From the weight of it as Nathan gathered my hair in a makeshift ponytail, I could tell it hadn't avoided the vomit massacre. "Sang, what can I do?"

"Nothing," I panted after a deep breath, enjoying the moment of peace before my stomach leapt and I was dry-heaving into the bowl again. "I think I just threw up the baby."

"Do you want water? Medicine?" Nathan pressed worriedly while ignoring my remark, trailing his free hand across my arm. "Should I call Sean?"

"He'll want that," I answered, not wanting to worry anyone else but knowing Sean would be hurt if we didn't get him for this. "But have him check on Gabriel first. He was looking green."

The sound of Gabriel retching sounded like an agreement, and Nathan pressed a firm kiss to the top of my head.

"I'll be right back, Peanut," he promised, tying something around my hair so it would stay in place. "Just grabbing your phone so I can get him."

"Don't greenline!" I called after him in a feeble voice before surrendering to the porcelain god before me.

But at least it finally made sense. When people talked about a "pregnant glow," they were really just referring the the sweat glistening on an expectant mother's forehead from willing herself not to throw up.

* * *

Either I had passed out or blacked out, but the next time my eyes opened I was greeted with the ceiling instead of the contents of my stomach. Rays of sunlight filtered through the curtains, and hushed voices alerted me to others in the room but my body was too exhausted to check who they were.

"There's my brave girl," Sean's voice praised as he came into my field of vision. "How are you feeling, sweetheart?"

"Sean, how is throwing up brave?" I croaked out, my throat raw from the early morning activities.

"Shush, Pumpkin, just let me coddle you," Sean ordered, placing the backs of his cold fingers against my forehead. It felt surprisingly nice, and I leaned into the touch. "You gave us quite a scare there."

"Did he greenline you? I told him not to greenline you," I rushed to explain, clearing my throat and accepting the glass of water Sean offered.

"Well I'm glad he did," Sean argued lightly, pushing the flyaway strands of hair back from my face. "You and Gabriel didn't look so hot."

"Gabriel! Where is he?" I asked, sitting up fully and looking towards the doorway. "Is he okay?"

"He's fine," North's gruff voice spoke from behind Sean. "But you still haven't answered how you are."

I leaned forward, peering around Sean to see my North Star leaning against the windowsill. Arms crossed, shoulders tensed, and frown firmly in place.

"Good morning, North," I greeted warmly, offering a small smile.

"Mornin', baby," North muttered almost reluctantly. "Now be honest. How do you feel?"

"I'm fine," I answered sincerely, unable to stop a small eyeroll that North wisely decided to ignore. "So...I'm guessing that was morning sickness?"

"I'd bet my license on it, yes," Sean answered, sitting himself on the edge of the bed beside me. "And, well, a sensitive stomach on Gabriel's part."

"So if I just spent all that time throwing up, then why do I feel like eating chinese food now?" I asked hesitantly. An eggroll sounded like Heaven right now.

"Ah, you see, pregnancy is a fickle thing," Sean commented fondly with no small amount of amusement. "As soon as you eat some General Tso's chicken, you'll be right back in that bathroom tossing it back up."

My stomach rolled at the thought.

"Not to worry, though. We've got a full recovery plan in place, Pumpkin!" Sean assured me.

I had to smile at the solemn look on Sean's face, as if he were a doctor informing his patient of a tricky plan of treatment.

"Drink this," North ordered, stepping up beside Sean and holding out a glass to me.

"North, I'm not-"

"Drink it," he pressed firmly, jiggling the glass pointedly in front of me.

"North, we discussed this," Sean admonished softly. "You agreed to _explain_ first, and not make Sang feel like we're taking over."

"I'll explain after Sang Baby drinks the ginger ale!" North exclaimed, fixing us with an unhappy scowl.

Sean sighed, turning towards me with an imploring expression

"Sang, you're severely dehydrated after the morning sickness," he explained quietly. "That's partially why your throat is so dry, and you're probably feeling a little dizzy or lightheaded."

That explained why the room was still spinning.

"North is just trying to help," Sean continued as North grunted, and I accepted the ginger ale from him. "Thank you, sweetheart. Now we promise not to be too overbearing today, and I already did most of my checkup while you were asleep."

"That should make me feel a little creeped out, right?" I whispered after taking a sip of ginger ale, my throat already feeling heaps better. "You examining me while I'm sleeping?"

"Of course not," Sean frowned before his eyes took on a playful glint. "I was actually hoping it might've turned you on a bit..."

"Doc," North grumbled, shoving a small box of something into Sean's chest, who grunted at the impact.

"Right," Sean nodded, taking the box and pulling out a sleeve of crackers. "We have some saltines to help soothe your stomach. I want to make sure you're able to keep them down first, but they hold the least amount of risk."

I nodded along, not sure if I should be amused or exasperated by the level of detail Sean provides when I'm sick. I suppose I should be counting my blessings that he hadn't taken me to the hospital while I was passed out.

Years ago, I'd gotten a cold during the winter, and Sean had me quarantined in the infectious disease unit for two days before Dr. Roberts talked some sense into him.

"Gabe and I took the day off, so we're staying with you," North stated, his dark brown eyes fixed on me like a hawk. "Luke is downstairs, too."

"Everyone else sends their love, but didn't want to wake you before leaving for work," Sean filled in, hastily opening the sleeve of saltines and handing me one. "I'm sure you'll have a short novel of texts to read, though."

"And what are you doing home, Sean?" I asked, trying to recall his shift schedule.

"I'm not on shift until tonight, thankfully," he grinned, bopping me on the nose with another cracker before popping it in his mouth.

"What do you feel like doing, Sang Baby?" North asked, crossing both arms against his wide chest. "Reading? A movie? Do you need more sleep? I have a sleeping schedule planned-"

"North, I'm going to say something, and then I'll let you go back to coddling me. But only if it's just for today. I mean it, North," I warned him, holding his stare until he offered a single nod. "Okay. _I'm_ not the baby. The little fetus inside of me? That's the baby. Not me."

"Sang," North's face fell, and I saw the flash of hurt through his eyes.

"I don't mean my nickname!" I rushed to reassure him, grimacing at the implications I'd made. "I'm still your...baby. But not...ugh, this isn't making sense."

"Well, this could get ugly," Sean commented, munching on his crackers and looking between me and North as if he were watching a soap opera.

"North, I had morning sickness," I started over, stating the obvious. "I wasn't kidnapped by Volto, or tied up in a shower. I experienced something that most mothers do. Was it awful? Yes. Do I want it to happen again? No, never. But it's normal, and while I love how protective you are, I don't need protecting right now."

"I wasn't trying to protect you," North grumbled halfheartedly.

"How long have you been by my bedside?" I asked, raising a challenging eyebrow at him.

"Since I found out you were sick," North answered readily.

"And how long ago was that?" I asked, watching as North's eyes strayed from mine. "North?"

"Since I woke up during the night and saw Doc with you in the bathroom," North answered.

"On the camera?" I pressed pointedly.

"The camera!" Sean gasped dramatically, munching on his crackers at a faster, eager pace.

"She said I could!" North defended fiercely, fixing Sean with a glare before swinging his eyes to me contritely. "I was just checking on you."

"I know, and I'm okay with it," I shrugged, reaching out for North's hand until his rough fingers with interlaced with mine. "I just want you to know that I can handle this part. The morning sickness now, and all the body changes later. It won't be fun, but let _me_ do that part, North. I can handle it. I'm...stronger than I seem."

"I _know_ you're strong," North promised, squeezing my fingers. "But this is me, Sang. There'll always be a part of me that needs to protect you. Physically _needs_ to."

"You can't protect me from my own stomach, North," I sighed.

"I can make you as comfortable as possible, though," North shrugged. "It kills me seeing you in pain."

"You know what? I think we all get the point," Sean cut in, crumbling the empty sleeve wrapper in his hand and giving us both a forced grin. "He's protective, she's strong and empowered. Why don't we all go watch Mulan now? We'll get the best of both worlds."

Sean eyed us expectantly, standing up from his spot on the bed.

"Sure," I smiled, sending Sean a grateful look as he headed for the door.

"Sounds like a plan, I'll meet you both downstairs!" He called over his shoulder, disappearing around the corner.

"Sang," North sighed, tugging lightly on my hand as I set the glass of ginger ale down on the nightstand.

"North," I mimicked his sigh, slipping a finger from my freehand into his belt loop and pulling him forward a step. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he promised back, leaning over the bed until his lips were planted firmly against mine in a hard, purposeful kiss. My hand trailed up from his waist to chest, and North's tongue slipped out to trace my bottom lip.

I pulled back, dragging the covers off my legs and pulling a face.

"I need to brush my teeth before we do anymore kissing," I explained to North when he frowned at me. "Vomit breath."

"You're not going to complain about me asking to carry you, are you?" North asked moodily.

"To the bathroom? Yes," I answered with an amused smile, batting away at his offered hand as I mocked a thoughtful look. "To the TV room? Hmm...I think I can allow it, just this once."

I slipped over the bed, North following me with his signature cloud of displeasure as I headed for the bathroom on my own two feet.

* * *

"I still feel woozy," Gabriel moaned as I was getting settled on the couch in Siberia's TV room a little while later. "Do we have a barf bin in here?"

"You're not pregnant, Gabe," North retorted, whacking Gabriel upside the head before he came over to my side of the couch. North dropped into the seat on my right side, his arm wrapping around my shoulders in the same movement. I sunk into his side, burrowing into North's warmth. My own personal furnace. "Stop looking for sympathy."

"I threw up, too!" Gabriel whined, his lips dipping into a deep frown that made me want to hug him for the rest of eternity.

"Do you want some crackers, Gabriel?" I offered softly, holding out a sleeve of saltines to the pouting boy.

"Thanks, Trouble," Gabriel grumbled as he leaned forward, snagging a few crackers before slumping back against the couch's arm with a sigh. I nibbled on my own cracker, pretending it was fried rice and crab rangoon.

Was it bad that I would contemplate murder for a fried wanton right now?

I smiled at the uncharacteristically grumpy Gabriel before the coffee table in front of us stole my attention. It was covered in what I could only describe as sick-person supplies. Bottled water, orange juice, ginger ale, five different types of crackers, a neck pillow, and...

"I'm not on my period, boys," I pointed out, holding up the rice bag and raising an eyebrow at them.

"Thank God for that," North grumbled beside that.

"Rice bags aren't just for menstrual cramps, Pookie," Sean rolled his eyes from the armchair as Luke came flying into the room.

"Hey, Sang!" Luke grinned, flopping onto the empty cushion beside me and throwing an arm around my shoulders. I chuckled softly as he blatantly ignored North's arm already lying there, while North wasn't quite as amused.

"Piss off," North grunted, nudging his arm up to move Luke's stubborn one.

"Sang, I was just wondering something," Luke continued, ignoring North's arm sandwiched between us as his eyes flickered down to my belly. "Can you feel it inside of you?"

"Idiot," North huffed as I let out a laugh.

"Luke, I'm barely eleven weeks pregnant!" I exclaimed in disbelief. "Our baby isn't even the size of a golfball yet."

"This sucks," Luke whined softly, his arm retreating from North's as he shifted around on the couch cushions. I watched with interest until Luke's face was an inch away from my belly as he leant forward on his elbows. "I want it to come out now."

"Luke-"

"I've waited long enough, my little cannoli!" Luke cooed to my belly, which lacked any sort of baby bump at the moment. "Time to come out and _pla-ay!_ "

"Dude, you're in for a rough seven months, if you couldn't even last two weeks," Gabriel snorted from the other end of the couch.

"I just wanna see it," Luke pouted, leaning forward and nuzzling his face against my shirt. I giggled softly, using a hand to lazily push his head back. He shifted again, lying down on the couch as his head rested in my lap with a sigh.

" _If_ it was even capable of staying alive after being born now, the baby would look like a fucking alien turd," North pointed out with a grimace.

"Or some malformed Chinese dumpling," Gabriel added helpfully, shoving Luke's feet off his lap as I felt my stomach roll.

"Ew!" I shuddered in disgust, causing North's arm to tighten around my shoulders.

Well... at least that took care of my craving for Chinese food.

 **A/N: This was definitely a weird one to write. Have you ever written a puking scene before? It's super uncomfortable, but I didn't want to just be like "and then Sang threw up. Oh hey, it's morning sickness. *boom* Next scene."**


	16. Who Said Eros was the God of Love?

**A/N: Happy Friday! :)**

 **Chapter Sixteen: Who Said Eros was the God of Love?**

My self-designated babysitters and I spent the majority of the day watching movies, mostly focusing on strong female leads like Mulan and Anastasia due to Sean's insistence. I think North got the point, as he calmed down and actually began enjoying himself around late afternoon.

Although that might've had something to do with me allowing him to hand feed me crackers.

It would've been romantic, if he hadn't kept asking if I was going to puke.

By late afternoon, Sean had moved onto romantic comedies. The paranoid side of me wondered if this was because I hadn't had much alone time recently with my favorite doctor.

"Romantic comedies sure are big fans of dogs," Sean observed as we watched Tom Hanks pat Brinkley on the head. "It seems like every other movie has to have at least one."

"That's cause all good romances start with dogs," Luke beamed, looking up at me from the carpet. "Right, Cupcake?"

"What do you—oh, Max." It dawned on me, and I felt myself grin as I recalled that rainy night when I was tackled by a furry monster. "I guess we did start out with a dog."

"Maybe they'll make a Rom-Com about us one day." Luke nodded thoughtfully as he tilted his head, long blonde hair sliding over one shoulder with a silkiness I felt silly for being jealous of.

"Luke, I don't think anyone would watch that!" I laughed, nudging my toe against his side. Okay, that was a lie. I totally would.

"Speak for yourself, Sang. I happen to know a girl who once described me as having 'model-worthy' good looks," Luke wiggled his eyebrows up at me.

"Oh, shush," I admonished lightly, fighting back my grin. "If I'd known what it would do to your ego, I never would've said anything. You're incorrigible."

"Thank you, Cupcake," Luke grinned as Sean snorted a laugh.

"Careful, Luke. I think your ego is reaching maximum capacity," Sean warned playfully.

"Nah, there's always room for Sang to tell me how handsome I am," Luke waved him off, and I just shook my head at the boy.

"Open up, Sang Baby," North ordered as a cracker came flying at my face. My hand jumped up to stop it, and he reluctantly held back a few inches from my mouth.

" _No-orth_ ," I whined, pulling away with a grimace. "Stop it. You keep stuffing crackers in my mouth, like I'm Iago or something."

"Iag-what?" North's face scrunched in confusion, holding the cracker closer in offering.

"The bird in Aladdin!" Sean provided helpfully from his beanbag chair.

"Baby, you're not a bird," North explained impatiently, looking between me and the cracker expectantly. Then the puzzled frown returned. "Well, you are a bird, but not that kind of bird."

A small smile fought its way onto my face.

"I'm a ghost bird," I told him with mock-arrogance, sticking my tongue out. North's eyes focused on it as his eyebrow rose.

"Baby, you either use that tongue to eat this cracker, or I'll find a different use for it," North warned, emphasizing his words with a wiggle of the cracker.

"North," I sighed, tongue slipping back into my mouth as I leaned against him. Both hands moved to my stomach as I closed my eyes. "I don't think my stomach can take any more."

"Oh," North softened, his tense form deflating against me as a strong arm wrapped around my shoulder. "Sorry, Sang."

"I'll take it," Gabriel offered happily from my other side. A moment later, North's body tensed slightly against mine and there was a loud crunching sound. "Thanks, North Star."

"Don't fucking call me that," North bit out, his broad chest rumbling against my cheek.

"Sang, you have another appointment with Dr. White coming up this week," Sean cut in skillfully. "Tuesday morning. We haven't decided everyone who's going along yet, but I'll be there."

"Tuesday," I confirmed, trying to think of what was already planned that morning. I though Karen and I had scheduled breakfast together. "Do you remember what time?"

I looked around for my phone, wanting to check the calendar app to verify.

"Eight fifteen, Pookiekins."

"Does anyone know where my phone is?" I asked, patting a hand over my chest and the cushions around me.

"Right here," North answered, leaning over to grab it off the end table before snuggling back against me.

"Thank you, North Star," Gabriel offered in a high-pitched coo as I accepted it from North.

"Gabe," North growled in warning.

I fiddled with the phone, typing in my code and smiling at the onslaught of cute 'get well' texts from the other boys. I'd been trying to keep up with their warm messages since I'd woken up, but it'd always been difficult to maintain conversations via text. Messaging even two people at once could be tiring, and I had nine boys to keep up with. It didn't help that Luke kept sending animated puking gifs.

While the crackers and ginger ale had helped, my stomach still felt achey. My beloved doctor had been watching me like a hawk all morning, and his concerned frown wasn't helping. It was selfish, but I just wanted to pout for a little without one of them trying to fix it. Either that, or cuddle up in a warm cocoon for a few decades.

That thought morphed into a lightbulb, and I pulled up a blank message after a quick check of my calendar.

Sang: _I need a hug._

It was almost scary how quickly he responded. I had just locked the screen, letting my hand flop onto North's thigh, when a new message popped up.

Silas: _Did the guys leave you all alone, Aggele?_

Sang: _No, they're here._

Silas: _I'm sure they'll give you a hug, whether you ask or not._

Sang: _But I need a Silas hug. :(_

I smiled down at the message before sending it. It felt good to pout. Silas would understand, and he'd probably send a corny joke to cheer me up. Maybe a cute gif of Disney characters hugging. My thumb had barely hit 'Send' when Silas's next text bubble popped up.

Silas: _I'll be right there._

Ah, shoot.

I should've expected it, honestly.

My fingers flew across the screen, rushing to stop him. I had four of my lovely boys with me; I didn't need to be so greedy.

Sang: _No, Silas. Stay there. I can wait for you to come back tonight._

The seconds ticked by, eventually turning into minutes as I stared at my quiet phone. No new messages.

Sang: _Silas?_

Sang: _Silas, I'm serious. I was just whining. I'll see you tonight! xo_

I pulled up his contact info, dialing the number, but was only met with voicemail. I groaned, slumping back into North's embrace and doing my best to keep the pouting in my head.

"Something wrong, Baby? Your stomach acting up?" North's gruff voice asked, sounding slightly distracted as his hand came up to run his fingers through my hair. I looked up to see his eyes riveted on the screen, and he was so focused he didn't even realize he was petting my forehead now instead of hair.

My North was a closet Rom-Com fan, I realized with amusement.

"Nothing is wrong, North," I answered, tossing the phone onto empty cushion space beside us. There was nothing I could do about it now.

 _You've Got Mail_ passed by in a blur, and I was content to watch the credits roll as Sean and Gabriel argued over which movie was next. It was close, but Sean was just making a valid point about the metaphor of _Flubber_ being inspiring to my stomach bouncing back, when Silas popped his head around the corner from the hallway.

"Hey," Silas beamed. His lips slid into a warm grin, while I narrowed my eyes at him. I wanted to be stern with him, get it through all of the boys' thick skulls that they didn't need to spoil me so much, but I was too happy to see him.

And there he was—my Silas—rounding the corner with a sense of purpose as he headed towards me. My willpower fell and a small pout slipped out as I held both arms up to him in offering. Silas's grin widened as North's chuckles reverberated through me, and it was all I could do to not catapult off the couch and into his waiting arms.

"I heard someone needed a hug," Silas teased, his voice a deep, low timber as he crossed the room.

"How'd you know, Silas?" Gabriel exclaimed in surprise from my left. Then I gaped, jaw hitting the floor, as Gabriel leapt off the couch in a blur and clung to Silas's side like a koalabear.

 _I_ was Silas's koala!

"No!" I whined, my lip sticking out further without me telling it to. "You hug stealer, Meanie!"

"I'm sick, too, Trouble," Gabriel grumbled, looping his legs around Silas's waist while my gentle giant held him up with a resigned sigh. "Damn sympathy pains."

"You're not having fucking sympathy pains," North rolled his eyes. "You just have a weak stomach."

"My stomach could drink yours under the table!" Gabriel shot back, his voice muffled against Silas's neck—the neck I was supposed to be snuggled against.

"Pretty sure that'd be your liver, Gabriel," Sean offered pointlessly, neither boy listening to him.

"How much you willing to bet on that?" North asked Gabriel, voice turning dangerous.

"Boys, stop it. You're not drinking yourselves into comas," I poked at North's thigh with a finger, but he just grunted in response. "And Gabriel _is_ having sympathy symptoms! I don't want him hurting, but I think it's sweet that he felt what I did so strongly."

"I do what I can, Trouble," Gabriel muttered modestly.

"Gabe," Silas frowned, patting the other boy's back as Gabriel shifted to get a tighter grip around Silas's neck. "Come on. Sang needs me."

"You were right, Sang. This is heaven," Gabriel sighed, nuzzling his face against Silas's neck as I stifled a laugh. "I could stay here forever."

Silas rolled his eyes while I deepened my pout, both of his large arms moving up until he was able to extract Gabriel's iron grip from his neck.

There was a distinct _thud_ as Gabriel hit the ground a moment later.

"You fucker!" Gabriel moaned from his heap on the floor, curling into a ball. "My tummy hurts."

"Silas," I pouted, extending my open arms further and using all of my willpower not to make grabby hands as I anticipated his strong arms wrapping around me.

" _Aggele_ ," Silas mimicked my pitiful whine, sticking his own bottom lip out comically as he stepped over Gabriel's prone body, heading towards my couch. He scooped me up in one swift motion, and I let out a content sigh as I cuddled into his hold.

"That's my girl," Silas spoke against my hair, placing a soft kiss atop my head. I burrowed into him, willing my stomach to behave.

"Oh fuck. I should be jealous of Silas right now, but instead I'm wishing I was Sang?" Gabriel's baffled voice said from his spot on the floor. "This is confusing the shit out of me."

"I'm stealing her for an hour," Silas announced to the room, ignoring Gabriel as he turned towards the door without waiting for a response.

"But we haven't watched Space Jam yet!" Luke protested.

"Who's the strong female lead in Space Jam?" Gabriel snorted as we crossed the threshold to the townhouse's foyer.

"Lola Bunny, of course. Or Daffy, since he throws like a girl," Luke answered thoughtfully. Silas leaned forward without me expecting it, and I tightened my grip around his neck as picked something up from the floor and started walking again.

"Keep her hydrated, Si!" North called after us.

"North, that's my line!" Sean's affronted voice was the last thing I heard as Silas started up the stairs.

"If it hadn't been nine years since I met you guys, I'd wonder if you thought I was capable of breathing on my own," I mumbled against Silas's warm skin. The temptation was too much, and I planted a chaste kiss at the base of his neck.

"We like to take care of you, _Aggele_ ," was Silas's only response.

"You like to do everything for me," I countered softly.

"We do," Silas agreed slowly, using his hand on my bum to shift me higher as he took the stairs one at a time. "But it's not because we think you can't do it yourself. We all want to have a purpose in your life. It's hard to feel needed by you when there's nine of us. You don't _need_ nine men."

"I do need you," I protested, leaving my hiding place to lean back in Silas's hold. "All of you. You're a part of me."

"Good," Silas nodded. His answering grin was slow, but it lit up his face until I saw a dimple peeking out from one cheek. " 'Cause we're not going anywhere."

"Well, I sure _hope_ you wouldn't knock a girl up and then jump ship," I teased with a smile, enjoying the swaying motion as Silas hopped the last two steps.

"Never," Silas swore, his smile disappearing so fast I may have imagined it was there in the first place. "I'll never leave you."

"I was just joking, Silas," I said with a laughing sigh, playing with the hair on his nape.

He squeezed me tighter as we passed Luke's room, making a noncommittal sound. "Leave the jokes to me, _Aggele_."

"I'm sorry, Superman. I know you won't leave me," I crooned, wrapping my arms around his neck and leaning forward to peck his clenched jaw. Bristly skin met my lips as the ocean engulfed my senses. I kept my lips against him, mumbling another apology.

"I don't wanna talk about anybody leaving anybody, _Aggele_ ," Silas insisted with a shake of his head, his voice low. The motion jostled me, and I laid my head against his broad shoulder as we passed North's open door.

"How was your day?" I diverted as Silas carried me into his room, clicking the door shut behind us.

"Good, I was mostly catching up on paperwork today," he answered, setting me down on the end of his queen-sized bed. I spread my hands over the comforter as he set a shopping bag down on the dresser. "I was picking up a few things at the store when I got your S.O.S. text."

"Anything interesting?" I asked curiously, holding back my eyeroll. I wasn't as desperate for a hug as he made me sound.

"Some socks," Silas shrugged, peeking into the bag before turning his back on it to face me..

"Toe socks?" I smiled, attempting to wiggle my eyebrows at him. If his answering laughter was any indication, my playful seduction needed a little work.

"Really, Sang?" Silas chuckled, strolling towards the bed. "Do toe socks do it for you? Some foot fetish I don't know about?"

"What can I say?" I asked softly as two large hands settled on my bare knees. "The rainbow ones inparticular are simply irresistible."

"Rainbow?" Silas grinned, fingers sliding back and forth against the top of the skin above my knees. "What about ones with pink unicorns on them?"

" _So_ sexy," I purred, shifting back until I could lean on my elbows. Silas's eyes surveyed my pajama clad body like a predator, hands slowly inching their way up my thighs.

"And the ones with pictures of eggs and bacon on them?"

"Breakfast food has always made me feel a little frisky," I answered as straight faced as I could. Silas's lips twitched as his eyes flashed.

"What about Spongebob toe socks?" He asked warily. His fingers slid back and forth across my skin, dipping beneath the fabric of my pajama shorts and creeping higher.

"God, there's just something about that sponge...," I trailed off, licking my lips for an entirely different reason as I watched Silas's eyes darken. He leaned closer, until every part of his body seemed to be hovering an inch above mine. But compared to what my body craved, we may as well have been miles apart. We were only connected by the hands on my thighs, and I felt fire spread through that touch. "He's just so...square."

" _Aggele_ ," Silas breathed against my lips like a prayer.

"Silas?"

"Stop talking about sponges."

"Fine with me," I agreed, leaning up until I was a touch closer to his lips.

"You said you had to pee earlier," he offered it like a statement, but I saw the question in his dark—so dark they were nearly pitch black—eyes. I nodded, our faces so close my nose brushed his with the movement. "Go now. Then I want you under my covers, undressed, in five minutes."

"Someone's feeling a little bossy today," I teased through a smile, my body heating at his words. "I'm still in recovery."

"You're fine." His lips brushed mine as he popped me on the thigh. I squeaked, giggling against his lips before I reluctantly pushed his paws off of me.

"Let me up, then," I sighed playfully, and Silas's hands had me pulled upright so quickly, I checked for whiplash. Finding none, I took off for the bathroom while attempting another eyebrow wiggle over my shoulder. "Make that two minutes, and you've got yourself deal, Mr. Kent."

" _Aggele,_ if you're looking for some four-eyed nerd who likes comic books, go to Kota," Silas frowned as he watched me go.

"Clark Kent doesn't _like_ comic books, Silas. He's _in_ comic books," I explained with an eyeroll and a smile.

"And I'm going to be _in_ bed. Naked. Make your choice," Silas answered in a no-nonsense tone.

"You won't be wearing your new toe socks?" I asked innocently.

"Four minutes, angel."

I practically dove for the bathroom, tempting fate by pulling my shorts down before I even reached the toilet. I made quick work of my business, washing up and making sure my breath was minty fresh. Two quick swipes of Silas's deodorant under my arms—plus a smile when I recognized part of his scent that I thought had been purely Silas—and a purposeful fluff to my hair, then I was rounding the corner back into his bedroom and tugging up the hem of my shirt to save time.

But instead of my own personal Greek feast awaiting me on a silver platter, I was greeted by Silas's clothed back leaning over his dresser.

"Silas?" I asked, stopping with my shirt pulled up over my stomach. His large body whipped around, hands hastily moving behind his back as he sent me a sheepish smile. My eyes narrowed. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing, Sang," he denied, but I didn't miss the top drawer behind him inching open before he swiftly shut it. Two empty hands were presented to me, and I stalked forward suspiciously. "See? Nothing."

"Silas."

"It's nothing, really," Silas assured me, leaning his butt against the dresser as I reached him. His eyes darted from the drawer back to me, and I wondered how he ever worked undercover without blowing his assignments. "Let me help you with get that off."

I smacked his hands away from my shirt, feeling my expression morph into what Sean lovingly referred to as my Mrs.-Blackbourne-face. "Silas."

"Don't worry about it, _Aggele_ ," Silas told me, face pinched as my mind flew through a thousand awful scenarios. What could he be so nervous about hiding from me? How bad was it?

There was only one thing that I could think of that he'd purposely hide from me.

"Is it, umm...is it an...an adult film?" I asked cautiously.

"What?" Silas's nervous glances morphed into confusion. "Of course not. Why would I... _no._ "

"Is it a lab result from the hospital?" I took my next best guess, feeling a pang in my heart at the possibility.

"Sang, no!" Silas's confusion changed to full on concern as he watched me start to freak out. My mind kept racing with endless possibilities—from evidence of an affair, to an application to join the circus—until a groan from Silas interrupted my downward spiral. "It's nothing bad, I _promise_. Fine. Fine, okay. Just...see for yourself."

The drawer inched open behind him as my heart sped up. Surely this was the moment when my world fell apart. Silas let out a resigned sigh, dipping one hand inside the drawer before he pulled it out and I saw—

I blinked, screwing my eyes shut before popping them back open.

I must've been hallucinating.

It was...a onesie. A tiny, white onesie with red baseball stitches across the front. Surely this was made for dolls; there was no way a baby could be that tiny.

"Do you like it?" Silas asked quietly, uncertainly.

"That's for the baby?" I needed to clarify.

"No, Sang. It's for my dick," Silas snorted, laughing at my appalled face. "Of course it's for the baby."

"Good. Good. Because there's no way that'd fit your...your disco stick," I whispered, not sure why I even began that sentence in the first place.

"Disco stick?" Silas's features scrunched in confusion, but I tried to wave him off. "Sang, it's a penis. There's nothing disco about it."

"It's from a song—nevermind. Can we go back to talking about this now?" I gestured to the small onesie in his hand, unsuccessfully fighting down a blush. Silas handed it over without another comment, and my finger lovingly traced over the red stitching. I gently turned it over, surprised to see _#11_ on the back, in a bold, red font.

"I saw this at the store, and I had to get it," Silas explained when I failed to find any words. My heart felt so unbelievably full. "They had a bunch of different numbers. Obviously, we'll get the baby something Red Sox themed, but I'll need to look online for that. If you don't like it—"

"I love it," I answered softly, watching as the _#11_ blurred before my eyes until it became a faint, red blob.

" _Aggele_ , don't cry," Silas moaned, brushing a tear off my cheek with his big thumb. "It's confusing when you cry for happy things."

"I'm having a baby, and I'll cry if I want to," I sniffed, eyes glued to the tiny piece of clothing in my hands. It was _so_ little. "You want our baby to play ball?"

"I want our baby to do anything they want. Everything they want," Silas answered passionately.

"Even if the only thing they ever want to do is make mud pies?" I asked in a small voice, taking a deep breath to get a harness on my whirling emotions.

"I'll help them open a mud pie shop."

"And if they only want to pick their nose?"

"I'll show them how the pros do it."

"Silas," I squealed, scrunching up my nose as I handed the onesie back to him.

"What?" Silas grinned, setting it down on the dresser and turning to me with a predatory eye. "Everybody does it; I've just turned it into an artform. Here, let me show you."

His wiggling fingers reached for my nose, and I jerked back.

"Silas!" I cried with a laugh, pulling away from him and darting around the bed. "Stop it!"

"I know a really good technique to get the ones stuck high up there," he boasted, making me grimace. "You can really dig for gold."

"Oh God," I groaned, shivering in a way that had nothing to do with our flirting earlier. I hopped on the bed as he reached my side, scrambling across it before he could grab me. "Stay away!"

"I'm just looking out for you, Sang. You could've been picking it the wrong way your whole life. We _both_ need to be good role models for the baby."

"Stop right where you are!" I laughed, running passed the dresser as he slid off the bed behind me. I saw my flushed, grinning face reflected in the mirror—a polar opposite to the pale, sickly ghost I'd seen staring back at me this morning. This Sang looked happy, and free, and—

Pink.

I froze in my tracks, jolting forward as Silas collided with my back.

"What the—" Silas grunted in surprise, grabbing hold of my arms to stop us both from sprawling on the carpet. "Woah there."

My eyes were transfixed by the pink on Silas's dresser, sitting so innocently behind where he'd stood earlier. I shrugged out of his grip, walking towards it.

Little pink play shoes; each one no bigger than my fist.

"Silas?" I prompted stupidly, gesturing towards the item in question with a boneless hand before it flopped back to my side.

"I found something else today, too," Silas provided hesitantly, following me to the dresser. "When I was out shopping."

"They're pink," I told him, as if he didn't already know.

"Good eye, _Aggele_ ," he answered with a smile, eyes shining with amusement. "This is why you're Academy material."

"But Silas, they're _pink_ ," I repeated, feeling my brow crease. "We don't know the sex yet. What if it's a boy?"

"Then he can wear pink," Silas shrugged, running a finger over the velcro buckle. His finger would barely fit into the shoe. "Or save them for his little sister."

I was speechless.

"Sang, I would love a boy," Silas continued while I just stood there stupidly. His hand nudged my gaze away from the little pink shoes, until I was staring into warm, bottomless brown eyes. "Really, either gender, it doesn't matter. But I can _so_ vividly picture a little blonde angel with big, green eyes standing next to her mama. And she's wearing these shoes."

He spoke so adamantly about these little shoes, as if his heart was reaching out to mine to explain their significance. I was determined not to tear up, but it seemed like an impossible feat.

"Silas?"

"Yes, _Aggele?"_

"I love you."

"I kardiá mou chtypáei gia eséna." _My heart beats for you,_ he answered without a moment's hesitation.

I couldn't hold off the last few sniffles, eyes darting back to the newest additions to my little Button's wardrobe.

"Gabriel is going to throw a fit," I pointed out after a beat of silence, shaking my head while trying to stifle a smile.

Silas's dark eyes lit up with amusement as he took my hand.

" _Aggele,_ you think I'm worried about Gabriel not liking the clothes?" He asked calmly. "I could squash him like a bug with one finger."

"Please don't squash my Meanie."

"Anything for you, _Aggele,_ " Silas sighed, opening his arms. "Now give me a Silas hug."

"But I can only give Sang hugs," I answered in confusion, my feet automatically walking into his arms.

"Then I'll give you a Silas one," he offered confidently, wrapping those strong arms around me and snuggling me into his chest until I was home again. With my ear against his soft shirt, I had a perfect view of two tiny, pink play shoes resting on the dresser's surface. My arms tightened their grip around his waist. "They're better."

I'd never admit it to the other boys, but he had a point.

 **A/N: Silas channeling his inner-Mr. Blackbourne? Sign me up, please.**

 **I want to thank everyone for all of your kind words. I know it's easy to just read a chapter and move on. I used to be more of a silent reader, but writing has shown me just how much those tiny comments mean to the author. It's actually a little ridiculous how much they're appreciated. It's just nice to know what people are thinking while they're reading, 'cause I honestly have no clue otherwise - ugh!**

 **So this one is dedicated to all of the active readers out there. I strive to be more like you as I read other stories. Thank you.**


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